Bad Doesn't Always Mean Evil
by jkp1291
Summary: At the end of Fairy Tale Land as they knew it. Another surprise was in store as not one, but two children are born on that day. Here comes Alice; twin of Emma, Daughter of Snow White and David, but also confused, sad, angry, and don't forget terrifying. Now, that Alice is thrown in the mix, how will she interact and change these characters? - (Eventual Femslash)
1. Chapter 1

**Bad Doesn't Always Mean Evil**

* * *

As Doc glanced out the window he saw inevitability. This great force of change that can't be stopped. It was something that on any other day and in any other place people would stop and stare at, not in fear as they are doing in this forgotten land but in wonder of it size and beauty. Though as these people understood the graveness of the giant purple cloud rolling in on them its ascetics were quickly forgotten. Doc knew that time was of the essence as the cloud was getting closer as every second passed.

"Push!"He screamed.

The answering scream was of a much louder and painful variety.

On this grave day and at this grave hour, the only good fortune that came with the date was to be the birth of Emma, daughter of Snow White and King David.

Another scream tore through the room.

"Come on your almost done!" As soon as Doc called that to Snow White, no later than a second afterward, could the head of Emma be seen.

After a short time and a lot more pain, the daughter of Snow and David finally was out of her mother's womb. She then took her first breath outside, and immediately started wailing at the top of her lungs. At that very same moment Snow had a similar problem as she too screamed.

Doc gave the baby to an assistant and ran over to the screaming woman. As he was about to check on her he noticed the problem immediately.

"She's still having contractions I think another baby is coming!"

"What do you mean _you think_?! What are you talking about?! What's happening?!" Although Snow said this with an enraged tone her eyes betrayed her fear. If there was to be a second child, then how would she protect two children with only one wardrobe?

"We're sorry we didn't know!" Doc seemed panicked, which did nothing to ease Snow's worry. Seeing the reaction his panic was causing Doc took a deep breath and immediately calmed down.

Five minutes later and Snow White and David were now the parents of twin baby girls.

The Blue Fairy made her presence known by coming through the door just as Doc started cleaning the baby. She was supposed to be with the fairy's preparing, but this seemed more important at the moment, and she came as quick as she could.

"Were sorry we didn't know you were having twins." Snow's eyes shone with hope at the Blue Fairy's entrance hoping that maybe both of her daughters would be able to escape Regina and her wrath.

It was not to be though.

Sensing the question the Blue Fairy continued, "I'm sorry there's nothing we can do." The Blue Fairy had shame clear in her eyes as she explained this.

"Please, please, please there has to be something you could do, anything, PLEASE?!" With every word she uttered Snow sobbed more and more until she was a crying screaming mess.

Through it all David did the only thing he could, holding and comforting his wife. David also looked at the Blue Fairy with pleading eyes.

"There is something," at those words both parents seemed to straighten up with hope. "It is however very dangerous and I don't know if it would even work."

They wouldn't back down from whatever challenge comes their way to save their child.

"What is it, why not say something earlier, and why can you only use it now." David said with confusion, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"This… method of saving her… I don't know what would happen exactly. Just that she wouldn't be here anymore. The only reason I even have enough power to do it is because she's so small. It was a last resort for when nothing else worked. Thankfully though we found the tree and made the wardrobe. Now, because of this new development it is the only way to save both daughters. Alice's destiny has yet to unfold." If it had been any other day they probably would have recognized the knowing way she uttered the last sentence, but they did not.

As the Fairy was concluding her explanation, Doc went over to Snow and handed her the twin girls. Snow looked down at them as they snuggled deeper to her and her eyes again misted up, though this time in joy. David too looked down at them with a proud happy smile, but his eyes still had worry in their depths.

They both looked up at the Blue Fairy, though Snow did hold the girls slightly tighter to herself almost as if she didn't want to let them go.

"What are you talking about, what other way?" David demanded getting back to business.

"I would transport her away. The only problem is I don't know where."

Both parents looked slightly horrified at the prospect. At least with Emma they had a slight idea of where she was going. Yet now with their other daughter, they would have no idea, would she end up somewhere safe or even have someone to take care of her as she grows older?

The resounding thought through both parents' minds was "Better the devil you know." At least with the Blue Fairy their daughter would have a chance and they knew that she was trying to protect her as best she could given the circumstances.

With Regina there was no chance her 'take away all the happy endings' isn't exactly a nice prospect, so everyone knew something terrible was about to happen.

"Okay." Snow uttered softly almost inaudibly as she looked down at her babies.

"Please just… give us a minute?" David asked just as softly as his wife.

With that the Fairy went away to give them some privacy.

"Are you sure?" David started.

"Yes. I didn't even know there was another way. I still don't understand why the Blue Fairy would hide this."

"I was wondering that too, do you think that there's more to this than what she's saying?"

"I don't know, why would she lie? Whatever happens I just don't want her to be hurt, either of them. So if there's even a chance, a tiny iota of hope that the Blue Fairy's solution will work, then I'm going to take it." If one was to look at Snow White's face now all they would see reflected is protection and her unwavering will.

"Ok."

Although her husband now agreed, she still didn't look any happier with the Blue Fairy's idea.

"We never named her."

"I chose the name Emma, why don't you choose her name, Snow."

After a moment's hesitation, she looked down at her daughters and said, "Alice, lets name her Alice."

David just smiled in response.

The Blue Fairy, sensing that the conversation was over came back to the bed.

But before she could utter a word, Snow interrupted her, "We'll do it, but first I need you to make her a blanket like Emma's but with her name 'Alice' on it. I may not be able to raise her but I sure as hell am going to name her "

The Blue Fairy did as she was asked, and after a moment of thought gave a small protection charm to the baby.

The Blue Fairy thought to herself '_This should protect her for a little while since I don't know where she'll end up and she may need it.'_

She gently took Alice out of Snow's arms. With every passing second more pain flashed on the Queens face as slowly she let go of her daughter. This may be the last time she would ever get to hold either of the twins.

The Blue Fairy held the baby close, and slowly gathered all the magic she could reach. Then with one thought Alice, daughter of Snow White and David was sent to the unknown. Alice's last moment in Fairy Tale Land that day would be of the Blue Fairy as she fell bleeding from her nose and ears and the screaming cry of her mother vibrating in her ear as she vanished.

* * *

**AN:**

**Hi I'm pretty new to writing so go easy on the reviews. Only wrote one other fic and deleted it, would've sent that to a special corner of Hell for how horrible it was but, I couldn't get around to it. Anyways that was a couple of years ago and a whole other fandom. Reviews are welcome but not enforced so no holding chapters hostage. All I ask is for constructive criticism. 'While you die in a hole you bastard, Salinger is rolling over in his grave' is funny, it's also not helpful, but hey I don't judge do what you like. Anyways if anyone could Beta that would be greatly appreciated as this chapter is not so please excuse mistakes. Next update should be a week at the very most. Yes this will have a pairing pretty sure I already have who she's gonna be with. Warning: It will be Femslash  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Bad Doesn't Always Means Evil**

**Edited Ch.1 if you want to check that out**

* * *

**Storybrooke (Present)**

"_And today was such a nice day too. The sun was shining, I didn't have any work to do, and no one was bothering me." _These were the thoughts of one Alice Roberts aged 18, and long time resident of Storybrooke.

As her thoughts implied the day was running smoothly up to that point. She was at home taking a day to just relax. The best part being that no one was there to bother her. People as a whole have always gotten on her nerves. Except for a select few, but that's not the point.

As her relaxing day was bleeding into the afternoon, her phone started ringing.

She answered it without looking to see who it was.

"ALICE!" At that exclamation she moved the phone away from her ear. "Do you know where Henry is?!"

She blinked in surprise and looked at the caller ID, seeing that the name Regina was going across the screen.

"Um, school?"

"Why would I be calling if he was at school?!"

"In your old age you forgot?" With that statement she rolled her eyes, not that Regina could see it.

"Alice! This is not the time for sarcasm! My _ten-year old_ son is god knows where at the moment!"

After a long-suffering sigh Alice finally responded, "Do you want me to look around town or something?"

"Yes please! Thank you Alice. If either of us hears anything we'll call each other."

Before Alice could respond Regina hung up the phone.

Alice let out another loud sigh.

Regina and Alice have an odd relationship, to everyone else in town anyway. To them its the way they've always acted around each other. Regina would act as if she was her older sister, or sometimes even as a mother figure. She would scold her if she did something stupid, or commend her if she did something worth the praise.

It's just always been that way since she was born… well actually no, not born… since she could remember.

"_Now that I think about it when did we meet?" _

She just shook her head, not in the mood to dredge up the past and went to look for Henry.

* * *

**Wonderland (Past)**

I was a normal day in wonderland. If you consider anything about wonderland normal that is.

The Queen of Hearts, formally known as Cora, is sitting upon her throne while her court talks around her.

After a slight lapse in the conversation they finally hear it, a cry. Really it's more of a wail, like the person it belongs too can only do that to get attention from others.

Cora lifts a perfectly sculpted eyebrow and says, "Someone go see what that is and bring it to me now." It was obviously a command, so some of the guards scrambled to find the source of the noise.

When they did, they stopped in surprise of what they saw. Because their sitting precariously on the ground was a… baby.

"_What the hell is a baby doing in the middle of the maze?" _Was the resounding thought throughout the guards.

Ignoring the peculiarity of the situation with practiced ease they picked up the baby and started walking back to Cora.

As the guards were walking back up to her, The Queen was examining the situation and what they were bringing back. She finally realized it was a baby, and smirked in amusement.

"_What are people offering me children as sacrifice now, or are they just fools who lost a baby?" _

As the queen was deciding what to do with the baby, the guards stopped in front of her.

"It's a baby your Majesty." The guard holding the baby said.

"Yes I can see that, would you like to point out anything else that's obvious. Like how you are a bumbling idiot who needs to tell me what I can see with my own eyes." The guard started sweating in fear, but slowly calmed when the queen just started smiling pleasantly.

"Uh s-sorry your Majesty."

Cora just continued smiling and finally commanded, "Hand it over."

"H-Her your Majesty"

Cora raised a brow, "Hmm… oh I see, yes hand _her_ over."

With that the guard hurriedly handed the baby over to The Queen, and then quickly backed away in relief that his head was still attached.

Cora did a cursory glance of the baby and noticed the baby blanket had a name on it 'Alice.'

"_Well that's convenient." _

As she was trying to decide how to get rid of the now named Alice, she felt it, a great amount of power coming from her. Well for a baby at least. She could still kill her easily, but instead deciding that sometimes the second tries the charm and that maybe she could finally have a perfect, powerful, evil daughter and decided that-

"I'm going to keep her."

All around they all just stopped and stared as if The Queen herself had now gone mad. "_Apparently Cora now collects people as if mere pets._" Though they all thought it no one dared to utter it aloud.

As Alice was finally calm, she looked up to her new 'Mother.' Only to find Cora with another smirk upon her face. With that sight Alice started crying again, and Cora's smirk grew.

* * *

**Storybrooke**

Another place searched and yet the brat was still missing. After searching through what must have been half of Storybrooke Alice was more on edge than usual.

"_Who cares if he's gone? He always annoyed me anyway… but then again who doesn't. If the brat left on his own, then maybe he'll learn not to do it again when Regina finally gets her hands on him," _At that thought she snorted in amusement.

"_Like that'll ever happen as much he complains, she's wrapped around his little finger. This is why parents should hit their children."_

As she was calmly walking to the next place her phone started ringing bringing her out of her thoughts.

_Regina_ flashed across the screen.

"_Good maybe I can go home now."_

With that thought in mind she answered the phone.

Before she could get a word out, Regina started talking fast in an obvious relieved tone of voice.

"Alice, just called he said he saw Henry, walking with a woman, and he gave her my address. She said she was going to drop him off."

"_That doesn't sound shady at all."_

"All right cool, well I'm gonna go home, probably take a nap or something. You have fun with that."

"No! Alice can you please come over?"

With another sigh she finally asked "Why?"

After a couple of minutes of silence she checked to make sure they didn't get disconnected. After seeing that no, they were not disconnected she finally heard Regina say something.

"Please?" Was all Regina said in a meek tone.

Blowing air out of her nose Alice finally agreed, "Alright fine I'm on my way."

She hung up before any more could be said, knowing it would just become more awkward.

"_Why can't she just admit she wants emotional support?"_

Not that she would if she needed it either, but no one said she couldn't be a hypocrite.

* * *

**Wonderland (Past)**

Five years have passed since Alice showed up unannounced in Wonderland. With every day being steadily worse from the last. From the moment she could walk, Cora has tried time and time again to teach her magic.

Nothing major of course, just little things. But even the most simple, easy things that anyone with even the smallest amount of magic could do, seemed impossible for Alice to carry out.

Cora was starting to regret her decision of keeping Alice.

"_I can still feel the power coming off her in waves, it's increased a tremendous amount as she's grown, why can't she do magic?! I knew I should have just thrown her over a cliff or something. It would have been quick, messy yes, but most likely painless. Well hindsight is always 20/20."_

After another failure Cora was glaring at little Alice.

If she had done it wrong, or not strong enough, or to strong… or anything! It would have been an accomplishment but no, nothing. Not even a little twitch of a feather, or slight smoke. She literally can't do anything!

With those thoughts Cora scowled and walked away, leaving Alice close to tears after yet another failure.

"_Why can't do it! I don't mean to make Mother so mad. I really am trying…"_ Were Alice's despair riddled thoughts.

She then slowly trudged back to her room with her head down in shame.

* * *

The next day she was walking to her mother's chambers with determination in her stride.

"_I will do this, I can do it. Mother will be happy again, like she used to be… I just want her to say I did good."_

As she finally arrived to her mother's chambers and was preparing to knock, she heard voices. Her Mother's angrier than she ever heard it before.

"What do you want Regina?! You trapped me here and now you have to keep talking to me through that stupid mirror of yours!"

"Well it seems to annoy you, so that's a plus. Also I was wondering how you were doing, I may be angry with you but you're still my mother, can't I worry?"

"I thought you were a better liar than this Regina, what do you want?"

After a sigh of annoyance from Regina, she finally admitted, "Alright… I've heard you've taken in a child, and well color me curious."

"So what you've come to meet your new sister?" Cora started smirking at the prospect.

Regina glared, "No, like I said I was _curious_. What's her name?"

"…Alice." Cora still couldn't figure out Regina's angle, but figured she would play along… for now.

As they said her name Alice started in surprise, accidentally knocking over an unlit candle that was on the wall outside of the room.

With the noise both woman stopped talking and turned in the direction it came from.

"Who is that?! Come out now?!" Cora was getting really pissed off. "_Can't people mind their own business?"_

Alice knowing that tone from her Mother, and knowing what could happen if she didn't comply slowly walked into the room.

Both Mother and Daughter had eerily similar reactions, as both their eyes widened and then narrowed.

Regina after a moment of observing her, and realizing who she is, calmed. Then after noticing the girl obviously shaking from fear, Regina's eyes softened a significant amount.

Through all of that though Cora slowly, almost menacingly walked up to Alice. Just as she was going to start scolding her, Regina spoke up.

"And this would be Alice I presume?" Though she was asking her mother she never looked away from the little girl.

After a moment of trying to figure out the expression on her daughter's face, she finally just gave a sharp nod in reply that Regina caught out of the corner of her eye.

After a few more moments of silence, it was broken by Alice's next question.

"U-Um who are y-you?"

"_She's terrified."_ Regina thought.

"Well I guess you could say, she's technically your sister." Cora answered with a smirk and an amused tone in her voice.

Alice just stood there for a moment until she exclaimed, "Cool! I have a big sister!" All this said with an impossibly wide grin on her face while she bounced up and down.

Regina blinked in surprise. _"Someone actually wants me for something. Not because of my beauty, or my power, but just me. I obviously look intimidating, but she doesn't seem to care. Am I being wanted for something, just as I am?"_

Cora too looked at Alice in surprise, meaning the comment sarcastically, not thinking she would actually like the idea so much.

"_Maybe I could use this to my advantage. If she's invested in talking to Regina, then she'll leave me alone. Hopefully she could pick up some of Regina's more redeemable qualities like cunning, and intimidation."_

While both women were thinking this through, Alice was excitingly chattering.

"-And we could have tea parties and you could braid my hair, and you could-"

"Whoa wait tea parties, braids, what's happening? I can't even come out of the mirror to do any of that."

"-And then I can get a pony and you could teach me how to ride it!-"

"What?! You're getting a pony? Wait no; I can't do any of this!"

With Alice's excited chattering and Regina's continued rebuttals slowly getting quieter as she went further away. Cora went to do her duties with an amused look on her face the whole time.

"_Alice also seems to be making Regina crazy, another advantage in my favor."_

* * *

**Storybrooke (Present)**

Alice made it to Regina's in record time. Probably because she did what she loved more than anything, running. The whole town knows of her speed and agility, mostly because you can always see her running around instead of driving like a normal person.

You would think that would make her getting to places take up too much time and energy. The truth is it's probably about the same amount of time, because a person can go over an obstacle but a car has to go around. To be fair the car has to be going a normal average speed. Even she's not cocky enough to say she could get to the same place, in the same amount of time, if a car is gunning it.

As for getting tired, well her stamina is said to be unmatched.

As Alice was walking up to Regina's, a yellow bug parked right next to her in front of the house. She stopped and turned back, already having a good idea of who it was.

Just as she thought, Henry comes sulking out of the car with his head down. On the driver's side a pretty blonde woman also gets out. They start heading up the walkway and through the gate.

As they were walking the blonde woman looks up and finally notices Alice standing there.

She stops and stares at her with an odd look on her face. As all she can think is that this woman seems familiar.

Alice was thinking the same thing, but gave no outward sign of her thoughts, keeping her usual blank bored face.

Henry finally looked up when he noticed Emma had stopped walking and after glancing in front of him also saw Alice.

"Alice!" Even though Henry annoys the crap out of her and she doesn't mind showing it, he never really cared still thinking of her as somewhat of an Aunt or older sister.

"You know your Mom was worried sick about you brat?"

Emma blinked in surprise at what she called him, but didn't interrupt as Henry didn't seem to mind.

"No she wasn't! She's evil," after he said that he looked back up at Emma, "Please don't take me back there."

Alice just rolled her eyes, _"Obviously this is going nowhere and asking a random stranger to do that for you is pretty fucked up to ask. But what did I expect Henry never did understand what is and isn't okay to say. Brat has no filter."_

"I have to. I'm sure your parents are worried sick about you." Emma responded with a truly apologetic look.

"Didn't you hear what I told Alice? I only have a Mom and she's evil."

Before Emma could respond Alice cut in "Don't be such a drama queen brat. She could have been a much worse mother." As she said this in a knowing tone, she suddenly got the feeling that she has that knowledge from firsthand experience.

"She's right Henry. Uh Sorry Alice was it?"

"Yeah and you?"

"I'm Emma-"

"She's my birth mother!" Henry interrupted.

Alice just raised an eyebrow in response.

Emma started stepping forward trying to be polite. Once she was about two feet in front of Alice she stuck out her hand.

Alice after a moment of hesitation that didn't go unnoticed by Emma, she finally grabbed her hand and shook it.

As their hand's touched they noticed that same familiarity from before. It almost felt… like family. The only people she got this same feeling from is Regina, and that creepy school teacher who would sometimes give her random wistful looks before shaking her head in confusion.

As they were both staring at their hand's, Henry spoke up, "Huh that's weird."

"What is?" They asked at the same time letting go of each other's hands and turning. They then immediately frowned in the exact same way.

"That, you guys look so much alike, not identical or anything, but it's still kind of creepy."

They turned and looked at each other the hair was about the same color, and their facial structure somewhat similar, the only major difference being the cheekbones and shape of their chin. Though their body types were different with Alice being smaller and wiry and Emma being a little stockier. They definitely had more similarities than differences. Though neither would ever admit it.

Alice just rolled her eyes and let out a breath through her nose, while Emma furrowed her brow in confusion.

Before anything else could be said Regina opens the door, and comes rushing towards the three of them.

"Henry! Henry… Are you okay? Where have you been? What happened?" Was what Regina said as she stopped in front of Henry and did a scan of him to make sure he had no injuries.

"I found my real mom." With that said he runs into the house.

Alice just glares at his back as she sees the pain pass through Regina's eyes.

"I fucking hate kids." She mutters.

The others either ignore her or didn't hear as they don't say anything in response.

"Y-you're Henry's birth mother?" Regina starts with an odd look on her face.

"Hi…" Emma says meekly in response.

"I'll just go…check on the lad. Make sure he's alright." Graham says awkwardly from behind them.

"No, I got it. You go do cop stuff or whatever." Alice interjects before he leaves.

Regina noticing her there for the first time actually pulls her into a hug and whispers, "Thank you for trying to help Alice."

"Yeah, yeah I'm awesome." Alice says as she pulls away from the hug.

Regina just smiles lightly in response.

Emma standing in the background had an almost dumbfounded look on her face. They didn't exactly seem like the hugging type.

"Alice are you sure it's a good idea for you to be the one to check on him." Graham interjects as she starts wailing up to the house.

She sighed,_ "Christ, no one ever trusts me. It's really fucking annoying sometimes."_

"Course it a good idea, his room's on the second floor that means when I throw him out the window for being a brat and making his Mom worry, it will at least have a lasting impression."

Regina glared in response, though internally was slightly happy that she was angry on her behalf. That feeling however couldn't compare to the anger, and annoyance she was getting from the sarcastic threat.

Seeing the glare, Alice responded, "Kidding, kidding… you know how hard it is to adopt kids, by the time you get another one everyone will think it's your grandchild."

Before anyone could respond Alice walked into the house, leaving Regina with an even angrier glare, Graham trying not to laugh, and Emma with the same dumbfounded look as before.

* * *

As Alice walks up the stairs, she can't help thinking over what she just learned.

"_What the hell is wrong with that kid? He finds his birth mother, presumably makes her bring him back and then throws it in his adopted mothers face. Like I always say 'what a brat.'"_

Alice finally makes it up Henry's room and just sighs as she sees him moping.

"That wasn't cool Henry." She says as she sticks her hands in her jackets pockets.

"I don't care Alice she's evil! I don't know how you can't see it!"

With a long-suffering sigh of having to deal with this she finally responds, "What is evil Henry."

His face turns confused, "Well its being bad and mean and and and um…"

She just stares at him for a second "Bad doesn't always mean evil, just as evil doesn't always mean bad."

Henry can't remember ever seeing her look so serious, not even an ounce of her usual bored look was in her expression. It was well, terrifying really.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"The world isn't just black and white, fifty shades of gray isn't just a book it's also a way to look at the world."

"I don't understand what book, what colors?"

"_Great now I'm confusing him more."_

After a moment of thought she finally responded, "I heard a quote once can't remember who said, but I think it might help you to understand. 'The world was not black and white; people could kill to save, donate for greed, and turn on you with a smile.'"

She just looked at him for a second hoping he understood what she said. After a moment she turned to go with her usual bored, almost lazy expression back on her face. She then walked out as he was still trying to digest what she told him.

* * *

As Alice was walking towards the door, she figured she should probably talk to Regina before she left.

When she walks into the living room where Regina was in the middle of cleaning up, she notices a pleased look on her face like she did something she was proud of.

"Emma left then?"

"Hmm… oh yes dear, she just left… How's Henry is he okay?" Regina asked as she turned and looked at her.

"Like usual he's a-"

"Brat, yes you do tend to say that a lot." Regina finished for her with a smile playing on her face.

"I'll stop saying it when he stops acting like it."

After a couple seconds of silence, Alice finally asked, "You okay."

Regina hesitated slightly but finally responded with, "I think I will be. Thank you."

"Alright well I should go home. Call me if you need me."

"Yes of course, and please try not to get into trouble tonight." Regina said as she stepped forward and hugged her.

She just huffed out a laugh and left, while Regina gave her a fond look and shook her head.

* * *

"_Maybe I should have listened to Regina."_ was Alice's thought as she woke up in a cell. She looked over and saw Emma was in the same cell, with Leroy and Marco in their regular places.

She looks over as she hears a groan and sees Emma waking up.

As Emma looks around the first thing she sees is Alice and then realizes they're in a jail cell.

The next thing she notices are the two other men and as she glances at them one of them speaks up.

"What are you lookin' at, sister?"

"Leroy, back off and leave her alone." Alice said in an annoyed, almost protective tone.

He just rolls his eyes in response, while Emma gives her a surprised grateful look.

"So you are, uh, Henry's mother? How lovely for him to have you back in his life." Marco then interjects trying to stop the argument.

"Actually, I was just dropping him off."

"Tch, don't blame ya. They're all brats, who needs 'em." Leroy responds forgetting about the almost argument.

"Agreed." Alice says immediately.

"Says the brat." Leroy says afterwards obviously implying how she's only eighteen herself.

Alice rolls her eyes but doesn't try to refute the statement.

Seeing he wasn't getting anywhere trying to rile her up, he finally asks, "So Alice got locked up again?"

"Again?" Emma interjects looking over to Alice in slight disproval.

"I'm always getting caught messing with someone, this time I was spray painting a sign. I can usually get away but I don't feel like it so I just let Graham catch me." Alice responds in a lazy tone.

"_So let me get this straight she can get away with it easily, scot-free, but because she 'doesn't feel like it' she lets herself get caught. I don't think I'll ever understand her."_

"Fastest in the town, you'll run all around, and yet when it comes time to actually use the running for more than just errands you just 'don't feel like it.'" Leroy asks sarcastically.

"I like to run on my own terms."

As she said this Graham walks in and comes over to unlock the cell.

"Leroy! If I'm going to let you out, you need to behave. Put on a smile and stay out of trouble."

After giving Alice a nod, Leroy just smiles sarcastically, and leaves.

"Seriously?" Emma says after he leaves.

"Regina's drinks are a little stronger than we thought." Graham replies.

"I wasn't drunk. There was a wolf standing in the middle of the road."

"_Maybe she wasn't drunk," _Alice thinks_, "Maybe she was high."_

"A wolf. Right." Graham says sarcastically.

"The sarcasms not necessary Graham." Alice interjects with a glare.

Emma again gives her a grateful look.

At that same moment Regina comes storming in.

"Graham! Henry's run away again. We have to… What is she doing here? Do you know where he is?"

"_God damn brat. Glad to know he listens when I talk." _Alice thought sarcastically.

"Honey, I haven't seen him since I dropped him at your house. And, I have a pretty good alibi."

Alice's snort of laughter was ignored.

"Yeah, well, he wasn't in his room this morning."

"Did you try his friends?"

"He doesn't really have any. He's kind of a loner."

"Every kid has friends. Did you check his computer? If he's close to someone, he'd be emailing them."

"And you know this how?" Regina's asked her eyebrow now raised.

"_Good question, maybe Emma's cooler than I thought."_

"Finding people is what I do. Here's an idea. How about you guys let me out and I'll help you find him."

"_Yep definitely cooler than I thought."_

Regina just nodded to Graham and he came to unlock the cell.

Alice stayed quiet hoping Regina would ignore her presence so she could go back and lay down.

"And do not think I've forgotten about you Alice! Honestly I told you to stay out of trouble!"

"_Well… shit. I always forget this part when I'm too lazy to run."_

"What did she do this time?" Regina asked directing her question to Graham.

"She spray painted a sign, my sign one of the ones about being sheriff. She disgraced my face." Graham answered with a glare towards Alice.

She promptly started snickering. Even Emma had an amused smile and was trying not to laugh.

Regina however was not amused.

"Let's go Alice you're coming to. That way I can yell at you and Henry together."

"I'm good. I really don't feel like well… moving at the moment. The cells not that bad and I could use a nap; you go ahead without me."

Regina glared in response, "Let's go, now. I don't have time for this."

Alice sighed but got up and followed her anyways, an amused Emma following behind.

* * *

They all go over to Regina's and Emma starts looking through Henry's computer.

Alice actually just decided not to input anything at the moment partly because Regina might explode at her and partly because she is the worst at computers. She can use Google, that's about it. It's actually a little sad.

"Smart kid – cleared his inbox. I'm smart too. A little hard disk recovery utility I like to use…"

"I'm a bit more old-fashioned in my techniques. Pounding the pavement, knocking on doors, that sort of thing."

"You're on salary. I get paid for delivery. Pounding the pavement is not a luxury that I get. Huh. His receipt for a website – whosyourmomma It's expensive. He has a credit card?"

"_Pft whosyourmomma who ever came up with that, I love you."_

"He's ten." Was Regina's short reply.

"Well, he used one. Let's pull up a transaction record. Mary Margaret Blanchard… Who's Mary Margaret Blanchard?"

"Henry's teacher."

"Who the hell is Mary Margaret Blanchard?" Alice interjected, never remembering hearing that name before.

"I just said she's Henry's teacher," Alice just blinked in confusion, "She lives in your building," Now Alice furrowed her brow, Regina sighed and said "The creepy one who gives you weird looks."

"Oh! Jeez why didn't you just say so?"

Regina just let out another sigh and left with a confused Emma and Graham following behind.

* * *

When they get to the school, they go to a classroom with the name on the door and walk in.

"As we build our bird houses, remember – what you're making is a home, not a cage. The bird is free and will do what it will. This is for them, not us. They're loyal creatures. If you love them and they love you, they will always find you."

"_Calm the fuck down your making birdhouses. No need for philosophy." _

As Alice was pausing after her thought to observe the room, the bell rang.

"We'll pick this up after recess. No running!"

"_Yeah I'd run too, and why are they making birdhouses? What does that have to do with anything?"_

As they start walking up to her, Mary Margaret starts to give both Alice _and _Emma wistful looks before shaking her head with a confused frown on her face.

"_And nobody but me noticed that of course." _Alice could only sigh in annoyance.

"Miss Mills. What are you doing here?"

"Where's my son?"

"Henry, I assumed he was home sick with you."

"You think I'd be here if he was? Did you give him your credit card so he can find her?"

"Chill out Regina, she's seems just as confused as the rest of us." Alice interjected.

"_She may be creepy but she doesn't need the abuse."_

Regina spun around with a glare. "You do not get to talk right now Alice, be quiet."

Alice sighed and rolled her eyes but didn't say anything.

Mary Margaret gave Alice a grateful look before turning to Emma, "I'm sorry, who are you?"

"I'm his… I'm his…"

"Henry came out of her."

Now both Regina _and _Emma turned with glares, while Alice just gave a lazy smile back.

"_Too easy."_

While the other two women were still turned towards her glaring, Mary Margaret smiled slightly at Alice, finding her antics amusing instead of annoying as most people do.

Emma finally turned back and asked "You don't know anything about this do you?"

"No, unfortunately not."

After she says this Mary Margaret looks through her wallet and notices that her credit card is missing.

"Clever boy… I should never have given him that book."

"_So it's her fault Henry won't shut up about Fairy Tales. I swear to god if that brat doesn't stop telling me something about cobras, I'm going to kill him."_

"What in the hell is this book I keep hearing about?"

"Just some old stories I gave him. As you well know, Henry is a special boy. So smart, so creative, and as you might be aware, lonely. He needed it."

"What he needs is a dose of reality. This is a waste of time."

Regina turns to leave, knocking over a stack of books. Causing Alice to sigh in annoyance at her immaturity.

"Have a nice trip back to Boston." Regina said as she finally walked out the door.

After a couple of moments of silence it was broken when Alice finally said, "Thank god; she forgot me."

Emma just smiled in amusement at Alice, while Mary Margaret gave her a look of fondness.

"Sorry to bother you."

As Emma and Mary Margaret started talking, Alice kneeled down to start picking up the books, she always feels partially responsible when Regina has one of her bitch fits.

"No it's… It's okay. I hear this is partially my fault."

"How's the book supposed to help?"

"What do you think stories are for? These stories are classics. There's a reason we all know them. They're a way for us to deal with our world. A world that doesn't always make sense. See, Henry hasn't had the easiest life."

Alice just snorts in amusement, though over what they're not sure.

"Yeah, she's kind of a hardass."

"No, it's more than her. He's like any adopted child. He wrestles with that most basic question they all inevitably face – why would anyone give me away," As she realized what she said Mary Margaret's eyes widen almost comically." …I am so sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean in any way to judge you."

"It's okay."

"Look, I gave the book to him because I wanted Henry to have the most important thing anyone can have. Hope. Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing."

"You know where he is, don't you?"

"You might want to check his castle."

At this point Alice was finished picking up the books and was just getting up when Emma asked her, "Do you know where that is?"

"Uh, whenever he tries to tell me I just kinda stop listening… so nope, not a clue."

Mary Margaret then tells her where to go and as Emma leaves she gives Alice a questioning look.

"You go ahead I'm gonna go home and take a nap."

Emma just rolls her eyes and walks out.

Just as she was going to leave herself, Mary Margaret stops her.

"Thanks for picking up the books."

"Oh, it was nothing, ya know whatever." Alice says slightly embarrassed.

"Well either way thank you, it was Regina's fault, not yours."

"Well I mean she has her moments, but usually she can be okay, you know."

"I honestly don't but I'll take your word for it."

"Actually we technically haven't officially met, I'm Alice Roberts."

"_Other than the creepy looks she actually isn't that bad."_

After blinking in surprise at the random topic jump, Mary Margaret smiled amusedly, "Yes, I know, everyone in town knows who you are. Your Regina's pseudo sister, the resident troublemaker, and you live in the same building as me; it's hard not to hear _something_ about you."

"Oh uh right."

Sensing her discomfort Mary Margaret finally says, "It is nice to actually talk to you instead of just seeing you running around."

"Right well, I wasn't lying when I said I was gonna go home and take a nap now. So bye." After she said that she awkwardly scurried out of the room, leaving Mary Margaret amused smiling at her back.

* * *

Later that night after waking up from her nap, Alice gets up and stretches.

"_Naps, I would marry them if I could."_

Just as she's walking to her kitchen to get a drink of water she hears a chime coming from outside.

Confused she walks over to her window, looks out and notices that the clock tower is the source of the noise.

And she can't help but feel that it's more significant than it seems to be.

* * *

**AN:**

**So that was long, for me anyways. And yes Alice still ends up in Storybrooke that is important to future devolopment and it will affect Snow and David greatly in the future. Obviously were all gonna use our imagination an just pretend once upon a time in wonderland didn't happens cause... well then there would be two Alice's and no. Like I said up top I did some editing on the first chapter thank you to Guest for reminding me a bout Doc, fixed that among other mistakes. It doesn't change the story at all but if you want to read it out of curiosity just know it's still short so it won't take much time. Anyways drop a review to tell me if there's any glaring changes i need to do, constructive criticism, or hell even your eulogy for your grandmother, or you know just to tell me I suck. Later**


	3. Chapter 3

**Bad Doesn't Mean Darkness**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I never actually understood why you need to put this; it's obvious I don't own Once Upon A Time. To those who actually have to question this then well… just wow. **

**AN: Thank you to 2****nd**** guest who reviewed you get cookies, and yes there will be a pairing. If anyone really wants to know who I have in mind then leave a signed in Review and I will PM you who it is.**

* * *

**Storybooke (Present)**

6 AM- She gets up

6:30- She goes for a run around Storybrooke

7:30- She goes back home and takes her shower

8 AM- She leaves for work

This has been Alice's schedule everyday she doesn't have off. Today however she feels compelled to instead wake up at 7 and go to Granny's Diner for breakfast. To the other inhabitants of Storybrooke breaking routine would just be passed off as another day, another experience.

Alice though has been a creature of habit since she could remember. But as she walks through the doors of Granny's diner she realized that her usual morning schedule was giving her a sense of wrongness. Like she should know better than to do something the same way every day, like that could somehow get her hurt or killed, like it was… dangerous.

Furrowing her brow in confusion at her thoughts, she was soon distracted because of the other reason she doesn't go to Granny's Diner.

The owner herself, Granny was giving her a glare from behind the counter daring her to actually sit and order something. Alice just rolls her eyes in response.

The reason Granny was giving her a glare is because her Diner and Inn were some of the places Alice likes to mess with. Whether it was somehow getting the Diner closed down for what could sometimes be days to fix repairs, or moving furniture from the Inn all over town and gluing it to buildings.

The feelings of mutual hatred between the two of them would most likely cause violence and major property damage, but because of Ruby it is somewhat more civil between them. Most of the time anyway.

Ruby is actually the only reason she's still allowed in the place. Though the waitress is the only one who will take her order and when she has a chance will have to make it for her because Granny refuses. Ruby never seems to mind though always happy to see her best friend.

Granny walks into the kitchen mostly to stave off the argument that's bound to happen and would have most likely upset Ruby; another reason for their civility.

Alice goes and sits at the counter to wait patiently for Ruby to finish taking another order. She looks to her left and sees Emma looking back the way Granny went with a furrowed brow.

Emma glances at Alice with the same look on her face and asks, "What was that all about? She seemed nice, why was she glaring at you?"

Alice just smirks and replies, "She usually is, I just get special treatment."

"That's one way to put it." Ruby cuts in overhearing the conversation and making her way over to them.

Alice actually has a genuine smile on her face small, but still more than she almost ever has. Emma notices and raises her eyebrow realizing she hasn't actually seen a smile from Alice that wasn't sarcastic or condescending.

Ruby seeing the smile also gets a big one on her face and practically skips over to greet her.

"Alice! I'm surprised you're here don't you usually have your morning routine on work days."

Alice's smile slips off her face as another wave of unease hits her at the thought that people could so easily find her while so vulnerable. Then she goes over her last thought.

"_People could find me while vulnerable. What does that even mean? Why would someone study me enough to actually figure out my habits? Also why would someone care enough to? Where the hell are these thoughts coming from it doesn't even make sense."_

Even though Alice tried to convince herself that her thoughts were just weird and confusing. She couldn't help thinking that she at one point did stray from any types of habits and that she should start doing the same again.

While her inner debate was happening Ruby finally came up to give her a hug. Another privilege, along with smiles that Ruby receives from Alice.

"I just thought I would try something new."

"Well I'm so glad you did I haven't seen you in so long!"

While this was all going on Emma was still observing the interaction silently in curiosity.

Ruby goes around the counter and while still catching up with Alice starts making something.

"So Alice have you met Emma?"

"Yes I have, though the better question is, why is Emma not in Boston?"

Emma snapped out of her thoughts at hearing her name, looked up.

"I just wanted to stay and make sure Henry is ok."

Alice raises a brow and calls out, "Hey brat, you okay?!"

Henry pops his head out of a booth and while looking extremely perplexed calls back, "Of course I am Alice, why wouldn't I be?"

Emma just stares at him a second as she didn't even realize he was there before turning back to the conversation.

"Oh look he seems fine. So why are you staying?"

Emma narrows her eyes looking upon Alice's usual blank face, not sure if Alice is messing with her or genuinely asking, sarcastically replies, "I meant in the long run. Regina hasn't exactly been welcoming and that isn't boding well for her mother of the year award."

"Oh were you looking for a warmer welcome. Sorry, it was supposed to be a surprise, but the parade for your arrival is coming next week."

Emma glares in response.

Alice rolls her eyes and sighs but then finally just asks, "Fine, what could she have possibly done to warrant you moving across state to our creepy little town."

"A: I'm not moving here just staying to make sure the kid is really in a good place," Again Alice rolls her eyes in response causing Emma to glare and her words to start coming out more forcibly. "B: Regina threatened me, twice now and C: what exactly is creepy about this town."

"Well to be honest I feel like I'm stuck in the movie Pleasantville, which is creepy, and Regina's a bitch I could have told you that."

"Yet you still seem to care about her."

Alice raises a brow and then answers, "What can I say, I love me some bitches."

Emma's only response was a blank stare.

At that point Ruby finally finished what she was doing and sets a mug of hot chocolate down in front of Emma.

Emma looks at in confusion, "Thanks. But I didn't order this."

"Yeah, I know, you have an admirer."

Emma glances behind her, then she get up and starts walking over to Graham.

Without turning around Alice asks Ruby, "She's going over to Graham isn't she?"

"Yep."

"She literally just saw Henry."

Ruby just shrugs, "Maybe she wants it to be Graham."

Alice grimaces in disgust, "Ew, she could do so much better."

Ruby smiles and rolls her eyes, "You just hate Graham."

"Correction I hate all forms of authority."

Ruby raises an eyebrow.

Alice answers without thinking, "Regina is the exception, she used to comfort me when I was a kid and would make me feel better when it came to my mom."

Ruby looks bewildered for a second before finally speaking, "I didn't know that."

Alice looks down in thought and confusion. Then quietly murmurs so that only she can hear, "Neither did I."

Ruby still looking perplexed and having not heard her, is about to speak when Henry calls out, "Hey Alice, wanna come to school with me and Emma?"

Alice usually would just roll her eyes and reply in the negative, but she wants to get away from Ruby's inquisitive stare.

So instead she just nods and follows Emma and an obviously excited Henry out of the diner.

* * *

**Wonderland (Past)**

Alice was having a nice day today. She was out playing in the maze around her Mother's castle.

She was hoping Regina would come and see her through the mirror today as she hasn't visited her for a while. After Regina and Alice first met three years ago, Regina would regularly come back to visit with Alice. Much to their Mother's both amusement and annoyance.

But after midday she finally stopped waiting for Regina and decided to play outside. It was as she was playing tag with her imaginary friend Leroy that she heard a great commotion back at the castle.

She debated going to see, but she remembers the last time she was curious and went to see what the Queen and her subjects were doing. She decided that it was better to stay where she was lest she see another head roll around after being separated from its body.

* * *

A couple of days later as was walking around the castle after yet another scolding from her Mother about her still non working magic, she heard an odd mumbling coming from behind a door.

Alice never remembers any noise coming from inside; she actually doesn't know what's in the room itself.

This time she didn't debate with herself and instead just walked inside. Though what she saw was definitely unexpected. A man with odd clothing and a scar on his neck was sitting at a sewing wheel with a couple of hats surrounding him.

Alice tilted her head perplexed. The man had not noticed her and instead kept working on the hat at an almost frenzied pace.

Alice walked up and started examining each hat as she walked by, when she went to touch one she jumped as she heard screaming coming from behind her.

"DO NOT TOUCH THOSE! I JUST NEED TO MAKE MORE THAT'S ALL I KNOW I CAN GET THEM TO WORK!"

Alice stood and looked at him with wide fearful eyes. The man, the same one that had made the hats, finally started to look at her and a bit of clarity came to his eyes they then seemed to clear of some of his madness.

As they both just stared at each other Alice still looking frightful and him looking half mad, half like he wanted to comfort her as she was on the brink of tears.

He finally made a decision, his thoughts only on that she seemed around Grace's age and a child crying now would be too much for him to bear.

He slowly walked towards her, with Alice starting to tremble more with each step and then he knelt to her level and put a hand on her shoulder making her jump and whimper in fear.

"I am… sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you, it was not my intention. Just please, don't touch my hats."

Alice finally started to calm down though was still on her guard. The man finally stood back up from his crouching position and sat back in his seat, and immediately got back to making hats.

Alice confused again just stared at him for a moment before deciding that she wouldn't be getting any answers from him and left.

She immediately went looking for her Mother to ask about him, as she would surely know.

She finally found her sitting in her throne apparently just sitting there thinking.

"Mother."

"Hmm… oh hello there Alice, what do you want?" Cora was still obviously somewhat lost in thought as she her voice seemed preoccupied.

"I was… was just wondering who that man is?"

"Which man dear?"

"The one with the hats."

Cora finally decided to pay more attention to the conversation after that.

She narrowed her eyes and asked, "Did this man have a scar on his neck?" At Alice's nod she continued in an angrier tone. "Stay away from him Alice, I mean it this is not a game, you're not to go near him he's dangerous and could hurt you."

Alice nodded frantically knowing not to argue, especially with the tone The Queen was using.

"Good, now go play outside."

With that Alice walked out of the throne room with her Mother's words and her interaction with the man on her mind.

* * *

**Storybrooke (Present)**

As they were walking down the street towards the school Emma piped up and asked, "So, what's the deal with you and your mom?"

Alice raised her eyebrow at the question, but didn't say anything.

"It's not about us, it's about her curse. We have to break it. Luckily, I have a plan. Step one – identification. I call it Operation Cobra."

"What's up with you and the snake thing, all you ever try to talk about is cobras this and cobras that." Alice inquired from next to Emma.

Henry turned to her and said with determination, "Alice! I keep telling you that's not what I'm talking about. Cobra is like I said the operation to break the curse."

Alice furrowed her brows, "We have a curse? Since when?"

"I keep telling you Alice, the one where the whole town is full of fairy tale characters!"

Alice just shrugs not really caring, "Okay who are you?"

"I'm not a fairy tale character I wasn't born here, remember?"

"Okay who am I?" She was actually genuinely curious to hear what he'd say.

Emma also seemed interested as she too started to pay more attention to the conversation.

"Well I-I-I um actually don't… know."After he answered Henry put his head down in clear shame of not being able to figure it out.

"Well there you go we've figured out there's no curse, so let's stop talking about vipers."

Emma smiled slightly in amusement knowing Alice was just trying to get on his nerves.

"Cobra! And that doesn't prove anything; I've figured out pretty much everyone else!"

At the end of his statement Emma takes a bite of her apple.

Henry suddenly has a panicked look on his face and yells, "Hey! Where did you get that?"

"You're Mom." Emma replies confused by his question as Alice looks on also bewildered.

Henry suddenly screams "Don't eat that!" and then proceeds to snatch it from her grasp and throw it over his shoulder.

"Well, that was rude." Alice comments.

Emma just blinks, sighs, and then decides to go on with the previous conversation.

"Okay, uh… Alright. What about their pasts?"

Alice also raises her brow wondering how he would explain that.

"They don't know. It's a haze to them. Ask anyone anything. And you'll see."

"Whoa brat, that is not true ask me anything, I'll answer it."

Henry looks over at her in thought and finally asks, "Okay, when were you born?"

Alice just rolls her eyes at the stupidity of the question before answering, "July 12th 1993."

Emma looks on also wondering what that proved.

Henry grits his teeth in annoyance before asking, "When and how did you meet Ruby?"

Alice just sighs before answering, "When we were younger, she… uh she… something?"

Alice then gets a look of deep concentration on her face as she tries to remember.

Henry's eyes light up in what seems like joy, "Ha! I told you. You can't remember can you? It's because of the curse!"

Emma closes her eyes praying for patience, "Henry she just said they were kids that could have been years ago, she might just not remember."

"Alice come on that had to make you believe… me." As Henry was turning to ask Alice, he finally saw that she wasn't there anymore and had apparently run off.

Emma also looked around in confusion, not even seeing her leave.

Emma then turned to Henry with a stern gaze, "Henry, I think you upset her, next time you see her you're going apologize, understand."

Henry's eyes widen only seeing that look along with that tone when his mother was scolding him, and knew it was best just to agree and do what she said. So he started nodding frantically in agreement.

* * *

While Emma was scolding Henry, Alice was busy running to work. She had to get away and think, so decided she would go to work early. That last question Henry asked still reverberated through her mind.

_When and how did you meet Ruby?_

It shouldn't have been that big of a deal, but for some reason it just… was. It got her thinking about the people she knew and why things were the way they were.

Why did she hate Granny so much? When did she first notice Mary Margaret giving her weird looks? When did she graduate, or better yet did she even graduate? Where were her parents? How did she meet Regina? Get her apartment, start her job, learn to climb, meet Graham, and start pissing people off? She knows none of the when, who, what, why, or how's of any of these questions.

Alice had to sit down as her head was starting to pound and she couldn't hear with the blood rushing through her ears.

As she sat on a curb on the side of the street, she put her head in her hands trying to stop the throbbing. As she was sitting though she felt something wet on her hands and face. She put her hand up to eye level and looked at it.

What she saw didn't make her feel better; there was blood on her hands. She could feel it rolling down her face and dripping off her chin with a trail that led back to her nose.

After she stared for a second more though she started breathing more deeply and then finally fell backwards unconscious.

* * *

**This is pretty short so I'll probably update soon.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Bad doesn't Always Mean Evil**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I never actually understood why you need to put this; it's obvious I don't own Once Upon A Time. To those who actually have to question this then well… just wow. **

**AN: Thank you to all that have followed and favorited. Also thank you to xXxWhiteWolf14xXx for reviewing you all get cookies lots of cookies.**

* * *

**Storybrooke (Present)**

Sterile and sick was what Alice smelled.

A worried grip on her hand that's what she felt.

A too white ceiling is what she saw.

Chemicals is what she tasted.

And a steady beeping is what she heard.

That was how Alice awoke, with her five senses telling her she was in the hospital.

Alice groaned and tried to sit up.

Regina, the person who was obviously gripping her hand before, came into her field of vision.

"Alice, thank god! When the hospital called me I was so worried."

Alice gave her a confused look and thought, _"The hospital, why am I in the hospital?" _Alice blinked, looked around, and then finally turned back to Regina. _"Regina only gets like this when she truly worries, what happened to me?"_

Regina noticing the confused look explains, "Someone found you unconscious and bleeding on the sidewalk. They called an ambulance to come and get you. And since I'm your emergency contact, they called me."

Alice looks down in thought trying to make sense of what happened, _"I was walking with Henry and Emma, and then he asked me something. What did he ask? I can't remember only that it made me upset, but why would I pass out bleeding from a question? It doesn't make sense."_

Regina noticing her contemplation, asks with worry in her tone, "Alice what happened, why were you unconscious?"

"I-I can't remember."

Alice looks up to continue, when she suddenly sees something that makes her jerk back with wide eyes in surprise and confusion.

Regina was standing next her not in her usual nice skirt and blazer. Instead she was wearing a weird black gaudy dress. Her longer hair was up on her head in a complicated style. Along with that she had a weird-looking staff, and the cunning, almost wicked gleam in her eye that she usually had was more prominent than usual.

The machine monitoring Alice's heart started picking up and beeping frantically in her confusion.

Regina suddenly looked panicked, though it looked out-of-place with the rest of her attire and started yelling, " what's wrong with her?!"

Alice finally blinked, and after her eyes opened again, Regina was finally back to normal.

Alice sighed in relief after another moment of staring in confusion, before her heart rate started to slow back to normal.

As she was finally starting to calm strode into the room at a fast pace to see what was wrong.

"What happened?" He was looking toward Alice to check what was wrong, but was obviously asking Regina.

"I don't know one minute she was fine, and then the next she was almost hyperventilating."

narrowed his eyes in thought, and then asked Alice, "What made you start panicking Alice."

"I-I uh I thought I saw… um something, it's-it's, maybe it was just my… imagination." She was lying of course, whatever that was freaked her out and she didn't understand what it meant.

"Alright Alice, but were going to have to keep you overnight for observation."

Alice eyes widen, she hates hospitals and she just wants to go home.

"No! No, doctor I'm fine, honestly it was probably nothing."

Before can reply Regina cuts in, "Alice, you are not fine and that was not 'nothing.' You passed out with blood running down your face and now you're almost getting panic attacks!" Regina looked angrier and more worried with each word she said.

Alice looked at Regina for a moment searchingly and without blinking. And though Regina wouldn't admit it the blank look, with Alice's eyes seemingly seeing through her was unnerving. If she was almost anyone else she would have stepped back in nervousness.

After Alice was staring at her unblinkingly for what was almost two minutes, she finally spoke up, "Ok Regina, I can see you're worried. I'll stay here, but only to make you feel better."

Regina let out a sigh of relief and bends down to give her a kiss on the top of the head.

When she stands up with a relieved smile, she gives a nod and they both start walking out.

When they were at the door, Alice calls out, "Regina," Regina then looks back in curiosity, "Who found me?"

Regina blinks and then finally scowls, "Mr. Gold." Then she smiles slightly again at Alice and resumes leaving.

Alice stares at the door where Regina and the doctor left in thought.

Alice than thought aloud, " , why would he call for an ambulance? He hates me."

"Aye I do dearie, but you were bleeding right outside my storefront, and that's just bad for business." Alice raises her eyebrow at 's appearance as he comes around the door frame and starts walking up.

"I somehow doubt that's the only reason." It wasn't a question, she already knew the answer.

Gold stops next to her bedside and leans on his cane with a nasty glint in his eyes, "No one has ever accused you of being dumb dearie."

Alice narrows her eyes, "So what do you want then."

"Oh nothing much, how about a favor, I did save your life after all."

Alice rolls her eyes in response, "It's a small town, I doubt it would have taken longer if you left me there for someone else to find me."

Gold gets an amused smirk on his face at her response and fires back, "Ah but who knows by then you could have lost too much blood."

"It was a nose bleed not a gunshot wound, the dramatics really aren't necessary." Alice's accompanied her response with a blank you're an idiot stare.

Gold scowls again in annoyance, "Be that as it may, I still called for the ambulance to take you here, so you owe me."

Alice sighs in annoyance and wanting to just end this conversation finally replies, "Fine, as long as it's not stupid."

When Alice looks back to him her eyes widen in surprise as he grins widely and darkly. Though that wasn't what truly had her shocked it was that he was now wearing odd leather clothing, that frankly looked way to tight in some places.

She just stares for a second before she starts rubbing her eyes with the heels of her palms.

When she finally opens them again she's relieved to note that he's back to normal in an overly priced suit.

He's giving her an odd look but doesn't say anything and starts walking out, when he's at the door he slightly turns back and says, "Just remember we have a deal dearie."

Alice plops back against the pillows in relief after he leaves.

"What the hell is going on?"

* * *

**Wonderland (Past)**

Alice almost always listened to her mother. She was frightening enough while in a good mood; she didn't need her angry.

This however changed when the man with the hats came.

The very next day after her mother said not to go near him, she slowly and cautiously made her way to the room she saw him in yesterday.

With the same cautiousness she displayed while walking there, she opened the door.

Again he didn't seem to notice her presence. She made her way up to him to try to get him to notice that she was there.

As she walked she made sure not to touch any of the hats, remembering his reaction from yesterday.

Finally after a minute of him not noticing her she finally got impatient.

"Um, sir, I just wanted to come and talk to you again."

The man finally snapped his head up and stared at her, though after a moment recognition shone in his eyes.

"Why?"

Alice suddenly got nervous not actually knowing why herself. After thinking though she finally replied, "Well, I don't really have anyone to talk to, and your probably lonely sitting here to."

After staring at her a moment in askance, he finally seemed to come to decision.

"Alright, just don't touch any of the hats that are already made."

Alice tilted her head and asked, "Why do you need them so much."

The man looks down in what seems like pain before answering, "I have to get home, my-my daughter, Grace, she needs me."

Alice narrows her eyes in thought before innocently saying, "Okay, can I help, maybe with two of us you can make more hats to get back to your home and Grace."

The man's eyes widen in surprise and after staring at her for a moment finally says, "You can help me but only if we work on the same hat, so don't try to make a whole one on your own."

Alice grins in excitement her only thoughts on how she made a new friend.

She practically bounces over and asks, "What's your name."

The man seems surprised as he realized they never actually told each other their names.

"My name is Jefferson, and you?"

"I'm Alice. Jefferson's a really long name, I'm gonna call you… "At that she looks around in thought and then her eyes widen in excitement, "Hatter."

The newly named Hatter raises his brow in surprise, "Hatter?"

"Yep, cause you like hats and there important to you!"

Hatter just smiles slightly in response and Alice gives him an answering smile before walking over and sitting down next to him.

For the next couple hours he teaches her what she needs to do so she could help him.

That marked the day that Alice found her first friend.

* * *

**Storybrooke (Present)**

Alice was sitting in the hospital for what could only be a half hour before she decided to leave.

She knew Regina would be out for blood when she found out, but honestly she was always planning on leaving.

So after closing the door and curtains; she went over to where her things were sitting on a chair and changed back into her clothes.

When she picked up her cell phone, she saw that it had only been a few hours since she was walking Henry to school.

So with that she put all her things back where they belong and walked over to the window leading outside.

She opened the curtain and looked down.

"_Only the second floor seems easy enough."_

With that she opened the window, actually surprised that it could even open and leaned out to make sure no one was watching.

After making sure the coast was clear, she jumped out the window and immediately rolled when she hit the ground. Then she started running right when she came up from the roll, never once breaking her stride.

If anyone was to see that they would have been slack-jawed. Hospital patient jumps out of window, definitely one for the headlines. Even if it was Alice no one has ever seen her do more than climb a fence as she sticks to climbing out of sight, and running out in front of everyone.

* * *

She finally ran back to the middle of town and was just walking by the inn when she sees Graham dragging a very pissed off looking Emma to his cruiser.

Alice looks on for a second in confusion before she runs over.

"Graham, what the hell are doing?!"

Graham turns to her in confusion, "Why aren't you in the hospital?"

Emma pipes up, "Hospital! What do you mean the hospital? Alice what happened?"

Alice just waves her off and says "I'm fine," Seeing Emma about to demand more Alice goes on to say, "Look I'll tell you later. Let's focus on you getting arrested shall we." Emma doesn't look like she'll let this go but stays silent.

Alice than turns back to Graham and asks, "How did you know anyway."

Graham rolls his eyes and replies, "I'm the sheriff, if someone's bleeding on the side of the road, I get a heads up."

Emma starts to look panicked again and starts looking Alice over for injuries.

Alice noticing her look sighs and interjects before she starts really panicking, "For one thing it was the sidewalk, and for another I'm obviously fine I'm out of the hospital aren't I?"

Graham gives her a slightly doubtful look and Emma calms slightly.

"Now Emma getting arrested, why?"

Graham sighs and runs a hand through his hair before answering, "Apparently she stole some files on Henry from Dr. Hopper after he refused to let her see them."

Alice gives him a blank stare, "Bullshit."

Both Graham and Emma whip their heads to stare at Alice with varying expressions on their faces.

Graham finally gets out of his stupor, "What do you mean bullshit?"

Alice rolls her eyes, "I mean that this sounds like complete and total bullshit. This entire arrest is bullshit. Hopper's full of shit, and your also full of shit if you actually say you believe it."

Emma has a surprised and almost star struck look on her face, in response to what she just said. Her only thoughts being, _"She's sticking up for me, no one's ever actually taken my side and tried to defend me when it really counted."_

Graham's eyes widen before narrowing in anger, "Watch yourself Alice, you're walking a very narrow line. I may lenient sometimes but I'm still the sheriff."

Alice also started glaring, though it was much different from her usual ones. This one was downright terrifying, and if the look alone didn't kill you, it promised she probably would.

Graham's eyes actually widen and he takes a step back in fear.

It was almost as if Alice herself darkened. Her aura, her personality, her morals, her thoughts. They all seemed to darken to a terrifying extent. And all of them were pointing towards knocking Emma unconscious, cleanly killing Graham, doing away with the body, and then acting just as scared and confused as everyone else about his disappearance.

Alice wasn't actually sure what really set her off, was it the threat, the way he just didn't seem to care about doing his job, or maybe it was the lack of control. There wasn't anything she could do about Emma's arrest, and that feeling of helplessness had an achingly familiar twinge to it. Her feelings of anger started to escalate as she couldn't remember why the feeling was so memorable.

She couldn't think of the event that actually made her feel so helpless before, but as she examined and dissected the emotion she knew she hated it, and that it was the single most terrifying thing she could feel.

All she does know was that she was just about to enact her plan, and was actually going through what exactly she would do with an almost terrifying clinical detachment.

Just as she took a couple more steps towards Graham, she finally noticed Emma's expression of pure fear. Then she noticed the growing crowd around them.

She looked around and saw some familiar faces. Ruby looking scared and worried, Granny looking scared and smug, Leroy scared although trying to hide it, Ashley Boyd looking scared and frozen, along with a good amount of others that she didn't care to remember the names of. The only thing they had in common was that they were completely and utterly terrified of the confrontation.

Alice slightly calmed down, she tried to convince herself that it was because she was scaring people, but she knew it was because there would be witnesses to what she was planning to do.

Her glare became slightly less terrifying, but she still took another step towards him causing everyone in the area to flinch.

Alice then heatedly started, "If your sheriff, then do you're fucking job and investigate the claim, instead of just putting her in jail."

Graham then got some of his bravado back and raised himself to his full height, "One more word and I'll take you in."

Just as Alice was opening her mouth to speak, Emma jumped in, "Alice, its okay it's not that big a deal," She then turned to Graham, "It's fine I'll go just don't take Alice, she's just trying to protect me."

Alice though never did have a rein on her temper and as they were about to walk over to the cruiser, had an idea that would let her get her anger out and help Emma at the same time.

Alice calmed to her usual blank and laid back demeanor. Those watching were actually staring in confusion at her complete 180 in attitude.

Alice stuck her hands in her long tan overcoat and called out, "You know Graham, I'm wondering when we actually voted for you. I can't remember, all I do know is that it was a mistake, especially with your record of shitty police work."

Graham froze mid step and Emma just breathed out through her nose knowing that now Alice has really done it.

Graham slowly turned and glared.

"You know what, you're right. Emma you're free to go." Emma's eyes widen at that. "I'll get Dr. Hopper to drop the charges." He then uncuffs Emma and slowly, angrily starts walking back over to Alice.

Alice just stands there with an easy-going grin on her face and watches in amusement as he starts walking up. When he's a couple of feet away she finally looks over his shoulder and nods to Emma, making her eyes widen.

Emma gets a look of realization before she starts glaring at Alice.

Alice just keeps the same smile throughout it all.

Graham finally stops in front of her, "You want to repeat that Alice?"

Alice just has a look of pure unadulterated amusement on her face while answering, "Oh are you also deaf along with being a shitty cop, man your life must suck."

All the onlookers' eyes widen when he roughly grabs her and starts to cuff her.

Alice still looks amused and Graham now looks even more furious.

He reads Alice her rights and roughly pushes her in the back seat of the cruiser.

All the while Alice still has a lazy smile on her face, while Emma starts to look panicked and the onlookers having a variety of expressions.

Graham then gets in front and drives away leaving a shocked group in his wake.

After a few moments Ruby jogs over to Emma and asks with a wild panicky look on her face, "What the hell just happened?! I've never seen her like that before!"

Emma slowly turns to face her and replies, "I have no idea."

* * *

Graham grabbed Alice and practically dragged her into the station when they pulled up.

They walk inside and he pulls her over to get a mug shot.

After the first shot, Alice asked with a bad accent, "So copper what am I charged with?"

Graham glared hatefully but still answered, "Disorderly conduct and obstruction of justice."

"That's it, how boring." Along with her answer, Alice still hasn't stopped smiling the whole time.

Graham glared even more hatefully in response, "To the right."

He took another picture.

"Left."

After moments of silence Alice spoke up, "So how bout them Lakers huh."

Graham glared again and Alice just shrugged in response.

After a couple more moments of silence, Henry comes running in with Mary Margaret not far behind. "Hey! Emma!"

Alice leans out from behind Graham with a raised brow and says, "Now I know you said we looked kind of alike, but this is just ridiculous."

Graham finally gets over his confusion and calls out, "Henry! Henry, what are you doing here?"

Mary Margaret stops behind Henry with a confused look on her face. "His mother told him that Emma got arrested."

Alice just looks even more amused and looks to Graham and says, "Ooooh Grahamikins you've been a bad boy. Did you call Regina and tell her you were going to pick Emma up, gasp, before you even knew if she actually did it. This is not helping your 'but I really am a good cop, I swear!' argument. Tsk tsk tsk well it seems we've solved the mystery of 'is the one cop in this town actually doing their job.'"

Graham whipped back around and glared at Alice, "Shut up Alice, or would you like some more charges!"

Henry and Mary Margaret stared at the scene in shock, never having seen Graham act that way before, though also for how Alice was handling the situation.

Alice smile still firmly in place replied, "What would the charges be? Two counts of telling the truth."

Graham again glared, "You're lucky I don't hit woman."

Mary Margaret's mouth opened in shock and Henry stepped closer to Mary Margaret out of fear.

Alice just seemed more amused by his badly hidden threat before saying, "Oh my Graham, not in front of the children."

He whipped around as he remembered Henry and Mary Margret were still there. When he saw the expressions he immediately calmed down.

After a moment to gather herself Mary Margaret finally started speaking again, "Alice, why are you here? Where's Emma?"

"Oh well you see I saw Mr. Frowny Face, "Graham turned again and glared but didn't say anything, "Arresting dear Emma and I said to myself I cannot let this injustice happen! I must intervene! So I stood up for the rights of the people! Yet he didn't like that so he arrested me instead and is now going to ask Hopper to drop the charges on Emma."

Mary Margaret and Henry both just looked more confused. Graham was just getting angry and annoyed again so he turned and started to explain, "She repeatedly insulted me, and after multiple warnings without her stopping I finally decided to take her in.

Both teacher and child turned to Alice in disbelief, then she just said, obviously unperturbed, "Eh I like my version better."

Henry's eyes light up, "You got arrested to get information for operation cobra, thinking it would be easier for you than Emma."

Alice just looks at him confused for a second, "Operation what?"

"I told you this morning!"

"Oh right yeah the bad thing or whatever."

Graham just looks lost and calls out, "What?"

"Don't worry about it sheriff, all you need to know is-"

As Henry was in the middle of talking a yell of, "Alice!" is heard.

Emma comes storming through the room after her yell, and strides up to Alice ignoring everyone else.

Alice then smirks in amusement with a raised eyebrow and comments, "Wow, do I seem popular, I'm getting so many visitors today."

Emma keeps stomping up now even angrier at her blasé comment. And when she finally reaches her she starts yelling, "What the hell is wrong with you?! I told you it wasn't a big deal! You were fine, free and clear but you couldn't stop being an ass at least until we were gone?!"

Alice just looks more amused at her words only enraging Emma further and replies, "Now now Emma, you can't just change who you are."

Emma was just about to start strangling her when Mary Margaret interjected, "Look whatever happened can we just talk about it somewhere else."

Emma and Alice both turn in surprise with the same expressions on their faces, making the others in the room look in shock and notice the similarities Alice spoke of earlier.

Mary Margaret clears her throat to start again, and then begins saying, "Look I came to bail Emma out," Emma looks shocked at that revelation and Mary Margaret ignores the look and continues, "But Alice, I'd be happy to also help you and bail you out."

At that Alice suddenly wipes all expression off her face and suddenly gives her the same blank searching look she did earlier after she woke up.

Everyone around stares at her in confusion and nervousness as the look goes on for more than a minute, before she finally blinks and goes to speak.

Before she can however, she again become distracted as Graham is now in armor with a wolf by his side and she stares for a moment. When she turns her head to look at Mary Margaret she stares at her too. Mary Margaret's hair was much longer and styled. She was also wearing an odd poofy shirt with leather pants and a bow strapped on her back.

Alice stared for a second more before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. When she opened them again, the images were gone replaced by their normal looks and attire.

"_What the hell, did I hit my head when I passed out this morning?"_

She's broken out of her thoughts when Mary Margaret finally worriedly asks, "Alice are you alright?"

Looking around she saw worried looks on Emma's and Mary Margaret's faces and a curious look on Graham's. When she glanced in Henry's direction he seemed deep in thought like he was trying to figure out a particularly hard puzzle.

"I'm ah-yeah I'm fine. Thank you for bailing me out Mary Margaret." Alice replied distractedly with a far off look on her face.

Mary Margaret finally seemed to remember why she came there and nodded before turning to Graham to see what to do.

* * *

After they finished and she was free to go with only a harsh glare from Graham as a reminder of why she was there.

Emma stopped outside and turned to Alice, "Come on Alice, we still need to talk." With that Emma walked away to her car expecting Alice to follow.

Alice sighed but figuring she should just do as she asked turned to Mary Margaret and gratefully said, "Thank you so much, you bailed me out even though we barely know each other. It might take a while but I promise I'll pay you back somehow."

Mary Margaret smiled and said, "Don't worry about it Alice. You don't have to."

Alice just smiled again and walked away, then she immediately started thinking of ways to earn more money to pay back Mary Margaret.

After Alice got in the car Emma immediately started driving and scolding her about what she did earlier. The whole time Alice didn't hear a thing or even pay attention to where they were going.

She was too busy trying to understand these flashes. She didn't understand them and all they did was confuse her.

When Emma stooped the car and got something out of the trunk, Alice robotically got out of the car still lost in thought. After Emma grabbed what was in the trunk and started walking off she followed her, still looking down thinking. When Emma finally got to her destination she pulled Alice a good distance away and told her to stay there.

Alice was still trying to understand was going on, when she was finally thrown out of her thoughts by a loud noise. She looked up in bewilderment and immediately saw where the noise was coming from.

It was Emma with a chainsaw cutting down Regina's apple tree. All she could do was stare in shock as Emma started wrecking the tree. If she wasn't in shock she probably would have left knowing that if Regina saw her she would kill her for leaving the hospital.

As it was she didn't.

Regina comes storming out of the house looking like she was getting ready to murder someone. Emma pulled the chainsaw away from the tree for a second to let it idle.

Regina's had an expected response, "What the hell are you doing?"

Emma then snapped back, "Picking apples."

Regina glared full force at Emma trying to seemingly set her on fire with her eyes before yelling out, "You're out of your mind."

Emma was about to reply when Regina noticed Alice standing a little ways off from the tree.

Regina then gets a look of pure fury on her face as she marches up to Alice, now seemingly ignoring Emma.

Emma confused and curious about her reaction finally turns the chainsaw all the way off so she could fully hear the conversation.

"ALICE!"Alice's eyes widen as she's only seen that look when Regina is well and truly pissed at her. "Why are you here?! You're supposed to be in the hospital! said you needed to stay for observation! You promised me you would stay until he was done!"

"Uh um I um ah… oops." Alice just stands there stumbling over what to say.

Emma having heard what Regina said also comes storming over.

"What does she mean you were supposed to stay for observation?! You said you were fine and they let you out!"

Alice's eyes widen as Emma steps next to Regina and forms a united front. They didn't seem to care at the moment that they were technically working together, as they both had the same goal of yelling at Alice.

"You are going back now!" "Do you think your health is funny!" "And to think I was worried about you!" "You left the hospital only to be thrown in jail after you insulted Graham! If you would have stayed none of that would have happened!"

At Emma's last declaration, Regina immediately started glaring harder if that was even possible and then finally screamed, "YOU DID WHAT!"

Alice's only response was to look at Emma in shock of her having to say that in front of Regina. Emma though didn't look even slightly repentant and just kept glaring at her.

Alice finally just sighed and said, "Ah shit."

A couple of minutes of more yelling passed before they remembered why they were even there in the first place.

So Emma halfheartedly told Regina that their ridiculous fight was still on, then she left after a glare directed at Alice and Regina saying she was going to take her back to the hospital.

So as it was Alice was taken back to the Hospital and put in a room with windows that didn't open and plenty of foot traffic to make sure she couldn't leave using the door.

* * *

**AN: Another chapter. Yay, anyways rate and review. If anyone still wants to know the pairing just review signed in and I'll PM you back.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Bad Doesn't Always Mean Evil**

* * *

******Disclaimer: I never actually understood why you need to put this; it's obvious I don't own Once Upon A Time. To those who actually have to question this then well… just wow**

**Thank you to all who have read , favorited, and followed. Cookies for everyone. A special thank you to grapejuice101, burningflame74, and Morgan Daratrazanoff for reviewing. More cookies for you. Sorry i haven't updated for so long. Inexcusable and not cool, sorry.  
**

* * *

**Storybrooke (Present)**

Three days. Alice knew she didn't need to stay there for three more days.

"_This is just Regina getting payback for me sneaking out. God! I hate hospitals. And I hate having to just sit here, I need to move. No one's even been to visit, it's just me sitting here alone, bored."_

The worst part however is that every so often everything around her would turn black and white. It's like the world was suddenly bled of all color.

It would only last for a moment and after each time she was slowly learning to just ignore it, and go on with whatever she was doing. She didn't dare tell anyone knowing they would probably want her to stay longer.

Except for the world's random problems of Technicolor loss, the monotony was getting to Alice.

She sighs and gets up to look out the window hoping to see something interesting.

Her luck rang true because in coming was a man on a stretcher, with Emma, Mary Margaret, and Henry trailing behind.

Alice contemplated her options for a moment.

Finally she shrugged, "Fuck it."

She walked over to the door, opened it, and looked left and right. Apparently a lot of the nurses went downstairs to see what was happening.

"Thank god."

She slowly walked out and made her way towards the nurses' station. She stopped at the corner and slowly looked to see if there was anyone there.

She whipped her head back when noticing that two nurses were there. After a moment, Alice slowly calmed her breathing and her heartbeat and then like instinct she began intently listening.

"I don't see why everyone had to go running downstairs."

"Marie! What are you talking about? That man has been in a coma for who knows how long, I would be there too if we didn't have to watch over the patients."

The way she said patients made it seem as if they were all a burden to her.

"Janet, that's the point we should ALL be looking after the patients. What if something were to happen while they are being nosy?"

The now named Janet huffed, "You're so paranoid."

Alice stood there for a few more minutes listening to their banter. Suddenly she perked up as the nurse she identified as Marie started walking down the hall.

Janet sat there for a few moments before Alice heard her chair turn and she started to grab files behind her.

Alice took that as her chance; she crouched down behind the counter of the station and ran silently past it.

She went down the same hall as Marie, and not seeing her continued to silently run. She made it to the end and looked down two separate halls to her left and right.

To her left was the elevator and to her right the stairs. After a moment of thought she went right figuring fewer people used the stairs, and this way she could listen for which floor had the most noise.

After swiftly going down six flights of stairs she stopped when she heard more commotion than she had for the last few flights. Looking up she saw that she was on floor two. She crept over to the door and slowly opened it.

She looked to her right and just as she suspected Emma, Mary Margaret, and Henry were standing outside a room talking. Then suddenly some blonde woman comes frantically running through the doors yelling about something that Alice didn't care enough to listen too.

After a few more moments Regina crept up behind Mary Margaret and said "His Wife."

Alice then tuned into the conversation.

"_All I got from that was. Regina bitching, Regina bitching. And apparently this David guys been in a coma and woke up, then Mary Margaret and Emma found him. Oh and Mary Margaret wants to get with him but can't cause he has a wife."_

Alice deciding that she honestly didn't care about Regina's wrath in favor of her curiosity, walked out and made her way over to them.

"_I'm just glad that these gowns go all the way around and don't just hook in the back so everyone can see my ass."_

Alice walked up just as Henry and Regina walked out the doors and Emma starts to follow. She strolls up beside Mary Margaret and turns to look into the hospital room to see what the big deal is. Seeing the man all she feels is an overwhelming sense of annoyance, other than that she doesn't see why everyone is so interested.

Mary Margaret doesn't notice her presence, to busy staring at the couple in the room.

Alice finally turns towards with a bored look on her face, "So I heard you guys talking about what happened." Mary Margaret jumps and turns towards her with wide eyes. "And it sounded boring. I'm glad I missed it."

Mary Margaret stands there for another moment staring at Alice, while Alice stares back with a raised brow at her expression.

"Alice!"

"Yeah?"

"Where have you been?! I was so worried and when I asked Regina she wouldn't tell me. I never even saw you going in or out of your apartment."

Alice just looks down at her attire and Mary Margaret also glances. Her eyes widen again. And then she lightly grabs Alice and looks her over like a worried mother.

"Oh my god! Alice are you okay? What happened? Why didn't anyone tell me you were in the hospital, I would've come and visited you?!"

Alice suddenly gives her a barely their genuine smile. Though Mary Margaret catches it, and her eyes widen as she has come to figure out how rare it is for Alice to have any emotion that isn't sardonic or boredom on her face.

"I'm fine Mary Margaret, I just fainted. The only reason I'm still even here is because Regina's punishing me for leaving the hospital before she said I could. Sometimes it really sucks to have the Mayor mother you; even if you are eighteen she can still manipulate anything in the town to her advantage."

Mary Margaret doesn't say anything for a moment before she suddenly surges forward and hugs her in relief. Alice doesn't move and Mary Margaret didn't except her too, and since she didn't push her away she knew Alice accepted the hug, as many people don't even get that far.

After a few more moments Mary Margaret finally pulls back and gives her a smile with slightly watery eyes.

Alice stares at her for a moment in confusion, not understanding why she was crying.

Mary Margaret sensing the confusion explains, "I'm just so happy you're okay."

Alice furrows her brows still not understanding, though that's nothing new as most people's reactions to things confuse her.

Mary Margaret just gives her a slightly sad smile, as she has noticed that Alice doesn't seem to understand many emotions like most people do.

After a couple of moments of comfortable silence Mary Margaret looks back into the room and then back at Alice.

"Are you staying another night here?"

Alice just nods silently in response.

"Do you mind if I go up to your room and stay with you for a while."

Alice just turns and gives Mary Margaret her signature lazy smile and drawls, "You can do whatever you like Mary."

Mary Margaret raises her brow in response to what she called her.

Alice shrugs, "You're names too long."

Mary Margaret smiles and after one more glance into the room nods at Alice to show her the way.

* * *

**Wonderland (Past)**

After so many years of not being able to do magic, at six years old Alice longed for some kind of approval from her Mother. Instead she would always just get angry with her for her lack of magical ability.

One day while playing in the courtyard, she saw something that she thought was truly magical. Nothing her Mother had ever done could even compare to what she saw.

As she looks she sees a large group of guards with their swords out training. Though if that was not interesting enough it was one of the men, he was young maybe mid twenties, with blonde hair, and an average build; most women would say he was very attractive. The Guard Captain she remembered her Mother call him once.

He was there, fighting another man both with swords out, but the man he was fighting against must have been twice his size.

The Captain just jumps back from the man and after a moment slowly walks forward. After two steps the giant of a man lunges at him trying to catch him off guard.

The Captain just moves slightly to the side, almost as if bored. He then turns to the giant man and slashes at his back. The giant man then turns as if to slice him with his sword but as he went The Captain just ducks under it and spins until his sword hits him again. The giant man again tries to go for The Captain as his back was turned after the spin, this time The Captain ducks under the sword and kicks his foot out in a crescent shape against the ground until it hit the other man and he falls forward on his front. The Captain then swiftly stands and puts his sword to the man's neck. The giant man then surrenders though he seemed to want to do anything but.

Alice just stood there with her mouth open in awe. Her only thought being how it was the most amazing thing she had ever seen.

And so it went for days, after that Alice would always go down when the guards were training and watch. She soon found that The Captain was the best of the men and never once got even grazed by another sword.

When she asked her Mother about him Cora replied with, "Captain Conrad, he was the best sword fighter in the land, champion of many contests, I 'convinced' him he would be better off in service of royalty and he's been here ever since."

Alice just blinked in confusion only understanding the part about him being the best and walked away without another word.

* * *

After two weeks of watching the men, Captain Conrad after the men were leaving when training was over, started walking in Alice's direction.

Alice suddenly stood in nervousness, not sure what she should do.

Captain Conrad stopped in front of her a few feet away and raises his brow, "I've seen you sitting here watching us for several days Princess, is there a particular reason."

Alice just sags slightly in relief as The Captain was speaking kindly with curiosity instead of anger.

Alice murmurs something, and The Captain furrows his brows in confusion, "I'm sorry I can't hear you Princess, could you repeat that?"

"I said, your fighting's beautiful and I just wanted to watch. I'm sorry if I've been in the way."

The Captain than had a jaunty smile on his face, "No Princess you've been no bother. You know it's a first that someone has called my fighting 'beautiful'."

Alice bites her lip in nervousness, "How do you fight like that?"

He raises his brow, "Well I was taught by my father, and then I practiced… a lot. I can't really explain it; you just have to learn to really understand." By the end of his speech he was awkwardly rubbing the back of his head obviously having no idea what to say.

After a couple of moments of Alice tilting her head in contemplation and The Captain still rubbing his head awkwardly.

Alice finally spoke up. "Can you teach me?"

The Captain's eyes widen, "I don't think that's a good idea, you could get hurt and I doubt your Mother would approve."

Alice suddenly looked crestfallen, "But without getting hurt now how can I learn to stop from getting hurt in the future. Maybe instead of magic, I can be like you and just protect myself with a sword."

His eyes widen again and after a moment of thought looks at her, "Well you do have a point, but there is still your mother to think of."

Alice starts to get excited and starts jumping up and down, "But if I can get her to say yes, then will you teach me?"

The Captain finally lowers his head in defeat not able to say no to her when she's acting that adorable. He just hopes when she sees how much work it is to actually learn to fight, she will soon quit. "Fine."

"Yes! Yes! Thank you Captain!"

"Call me Conrad, and tell me what she says tomorrow when the men and I are training."

Alice then runs off in excitement. Leaving Conrad to watch her go with amusement and apprehension.

Since Alice has no patience she goes straight away to find her mother.

After looking for her at the throne and not finding her she goes to her Mother's chambers. Alice stops for a moment and after calming herself knocks on her Mother's door and waits.

Cora opens the door after a few more moments, and upon seeing Alice her annoyed expression does soften if only slightly. She silently waves her in and closes the door behind her.

"Yes, what is it Alice."

After a few moments to try to fight her nervousness Alice starts, "Mother, um I've been watching the Guards train and I've been wondering if maybe I could, um, m-maybe learn too."

Cora's eyebrow slowly rose throughout Alice's entire time talking, "Absolutely not."

"B-But Mother-"

"No Alice, you could get hurt, and woman should not be learning those types of things anyway."

"But you practice magic!"

Cora narrows her eyes in annoyance, "That's different and you know it. You don't get sweaty with magic, you don't accidentally knick yourself with magic, and you don't jump around with magic."

"But magic is even more dangerous than swords."

"Then why would you want to learn it anyway?"

"Mother, you know I haven't improved in magic since you taught me. What if I never learn? Then how would I protect myself. I don't want to be one of the women of the court who runs from everything scary."

At the end of her speech Cora was gritting her teeth and clenching her fists. After breathing in and out to try to calm herself, she finally looks up at Alice. "Fine, but any injuries sustained will not be allowed to be looked at by the court physician." With that she turns away, a clear dismissal of Alice.

Alice had a huge smile on her face and even though she knew her mother was mad, she still yelled back to her on her way out the door, "Thank you so much Mother, I love you!"

Cora suddenly whips around startled by the exclamation and stares silently at the door, not sure how to react to what Alice said.

* * *

The next day Alice went to the men's training and told Conrad her Mother agreed.

Conrad just stood there for a moment in shock, obviously not thinking her Mother would. Then he got a determined look on his face, "Alright fine come on, and grab one of those wooden swords. Just because you are a child and a girl at that does not mean you will get special treatment. Do you understand?"

Alice slightly startled by his change in attitude takes a moment to respond. After a moment though she stands to her full insubstantial height, "Yes sir, I understand."

Conrad's first thought that she would only last a couple of days was completely and totally wrong. She never complained, and never asked questions. She just did what she was told with as much effort she could possibly give. She steadily improved and always had a thirst to learn more.

* * *

**Storybrooke (Present)**

That afternoon Mary Margaret stayed for two more hours just keeping Alice company. And although she would never admit it Alice appreciated it.

Now she was finally getting released from the hospital on Regina's orders no doubt. Apparently three days and four nights alone in the hospital is enough punishment in her eyes.

Alice finally breathes in fresh air, "Freedom. Finally. Christ I hate hospitals."

With that she leisurely walks with her hands in her long tan coats pockets. She wears it everywhere along with her converse. Other than that she just rotates jeans and tee shirts.

Today's were a plain white shirt and light jeans.

After walking on to the main street she keeps going until she finally gets to Granny's.

She walks in and goes over to a booth where she sees Ruby giving Emma some Cocoa.

"Hey."

Ruby jumps and turns around. When she sees its Alice, her eyes widen and she immediately hugs her.

"Wow, it's almost like you missed me or something."

"Alice, where have you been? I've been so worried, and Regina wouldn't tell me where you were."

Alice rolls her eyes, "Yeah I've been hearing that a lot lately."

Ruby looks at her questioningly.

"Mary Margaret said the same thing; Regina was just being a pain. She was just punishing me, don't worry about it."

"Punishing you, you're eighteen she can't just punish you like a child."

"Ruby, think about who were talking about."

Emma suddenly leans around Ruby and glares at Alice, "Don't worry Ruby she actually deserved it."

Ruby looks between them questioningly Emma still glaring and Alice giving her a sarcastic, amused smile.

"Now Emma you know it's rude to eavesdrop."

"You're literally a foot away from me, it's not eavesdropping its having the ability to hear."

"Now you're making fun of the deaf, Emma I'm very disappointed in you."

Emma's glare just increases.

Ruby finally speaks up, "You know what, I don't want to know." And then proceeds to walk away.

Alice finally just rolls her eyes, "I'm just messing with you Emma, calm down."

Emma glares for another second and then sighs.

Alice taking that as the argument being over sits down across from her.

Just as they were going to start talking again, Regina walks in and comes to sit in the booth choosing to sit next to Alice rather than Emma.

She turns to Alice with a smug smile, "How was your stay in the hospital dear."

"Awesome, it was three days without seeing you. With all that white I kept thinking I had died and gone to heaven."

Regina just glares at her for a second, before suddenly smiling slightly, "I'm glad you're feeling better."

Alice just nods in gratitude.

Regina turns away knowing that both of them forgive each other and will stop fighting from now on.

That's always how their arguments went, one would piss the other off (Alice) and then the other would do something to get them back for it (Regina). Then they would be bitchy to each other and finally it would be over. Afterword they would go on as if nothing happened. They didn't just act like sisters, they fought like tem too.

Emma looks between them in confusion obviously not understanding how most sister's fight.

She stops once Regina starts talking again. Alice honestly not caring what they were arguing about today, and not in the mood to hear them taunting each other only listens with half an ear.

"_They really do like to argue a lot. Maybe it's some kind of weird sexual tension. Like they can either kiss or kill. The killing thing is just annoying, at least if they were kissing each other they would shut up."_

Finally Alice starts paying attention again when she realizes they were both staring at her questioningly.

"What, did I say that out loud?"

They both start looking extremely confused, before Emma finally asked, "Say what out loud?"

"Oh, guess not. Then why are you both staring at me?"

Regina just looks more confused before saying "I asked if you wanted to come over and eat dinner with me and Henry sometime this week."

"Oh, uh yeah sure fine."

After looking at her another minute trying to figure out what just happened, Regina finally decides to just get up and go.

Alice then turns to Emma,"So you're staying with Mary Margaret from now on?"

Emma looks at her in surprise, "Wait, you were listening?"

"I was in and out."

Emma just sighs a stands up about to say something when she suddenly spills her cocoa on herself.

She then yells out, "Oh! Really?"

Alice just raises her brow, "Should I get you a bib to wear from now on?"

Emma turns and glares at her, "Shut up Alice!"

Alice just gives her a lazy smile in return.

Ruby comes over and winces in response to the spill.

Emma looks at her and sighs, "Do you have a laundry room I can use?"

"Yeah, Alice can show you." With that Ruby walks over to a customer trying to get her attention.

Emma glares at Alice in response, "Well where is it."

Alice raises a brow, "Now now Emma, ask nicely and say please."

Emma just increases her glare and looks ready to murder her.

Alice smirks, "Well aren't you just pleasant."

She gets up and beckons Emma to follow her and finally leads her to the laundry room.

* * *

When they get to the laundry room Emma takes off her shirt and throws it in the washer.

"Sorry Emma, I don't have any ones to stick in your boobs and I just don't find you sexually attractive."

"Would you shut up?!"

Alice just snickers slightly in response.

Before they could continue, someone starts yelling, "Oh, no, no, no, no!"

Looking over Alice sees its Ashley and she's holding up pink sheets.

Alice raises a brow, "What's up Ash, there a reason you're yelling at sheets."

Ashley looks over startled and upon seeing Alice blinks in surprise.

"Oh, Alice. I haven't seen you around for a couple of days, not since…" As Ashley remembers her argument with Graham, she starts to looks slightly apprehensive.

"Ash chill, we've known each other for years, you know I wouldn't hurt you. Your pregnant for Christ sake, you think I'd actually do anything to you." Alice can't help but think that Ashley being pregnant actually wouldn't have stopped her if she really wanted to hurt her. She knows that's a really fucked up thing to think but if she was being honest she honestly doesn't care. _"Nothing gets in the way of a kill… Wait what the fuck?" _

Before she could really examine her thoughts, Ashley finally starts to calm down and get less tense, "You're right Alice. I know you wouldn't hurt me. Sorry, it's just; you really scared us the other day."

Alice just nods not really paying attention anymore. After a couple of moments of silence, Emma speaks up, "I'm guessing the sheets aren't supposed to be pink, have you tried bleach?"

Ashley finally pulls the sheet down showing her baby bump.

Emma just dumbly says, "Oh."

Alice finally starts paying attention again, "Emma this is Ashley, Ashley meet Emma."

They both nod after the late introduction.

"How is that going Ash?"

Ashley gives her a look before stating blandly, "How is being pregnant going?"

Alice just rolls her eyes sensing the sarcasm, "No, your trampoline business, of course you're pregnancy."

"Last night, I felt contractions and the doctor said that the baby could come any day now."

"I hate babies."

Ashley just looks at her, "Alice you hate everything."

"Misanthropic."

Ashley just goes on and ignores Alice, "It's just that, um, when the… When the baby comes, no one thinks that I can do this. No one thinks I can do anything. Maybe they're right. Alice what do you think?"

"I don't think anyone's fit to be a parent, cause everyone's an idiot and will ultimately screw up there kid in some way."

Emma stares for a moment, "I never knew you had such optimism."

"I try."

Ashley looks dumbfounded, "You know somehow that kind of helped me."

Emma then looks back at Ashley, "How old are you?"

"Nineteen."

"I was eighteen."

"When… When you had a kid?"

"No, when she had a turtle."

"Shut up Alice. And yes. I know what it's like. Everyone loves to tell you what you can and can't do, especially with a kid. But ultimately, whatever you're considering doing or giving up, the choice is yours."

"It's not exactly what you might think it is."

"It never is. People are going to tell you who you are your whole life. You just got to punch back and say, 'no, this is who I am.' You want people to look at you differently? Make them. If you want to change things, you're going to have to go out there and change them yourself, because there are no fairy godmothers in this world."

"Ironic." Alice blandly states.

They both turn to her, and Emma asks, "What is?"

"Just that you would say fairy godmothers."

"Why?"

Alice just rolls her eyes and sighs, "Never mind, don't worry about it."

Ashley picks up all her stuff and leaves, while thanking Emma and telling Alice goodbye.

"You didn't seem surprised when I said I had Henry at eighteen."

"Well Emma, there's this thing called basic math."

Emma rolls her eyes, "You know your being more of an ass than usual today."

"I have three days to make up for."

Emma just sighs in response.

* * *

Later Emma and Alice had gone their separate ways. Alice decides that she wants to be out in the fresh air after so long cooped up and goes for a walk around town.

She was just walking by the pawn shop when she hears a crash and looks over from across the street. She sees that Ashley had just smashed the window, and was now unlocking the door, and going in.

Alice stops with a raised brow and watches to see what will happen. Never once caring enough to actually do something.

After a few moments comes back to the store front and after glancing at the broken glass storms into the shop.

Alice still just watches in curiosity and murmurs, "Tune in next week for the pregnant girl versus the cripple."

Then after staring at the store front to see if any other kind of entertainment will come up, Alice sees Ashley come out.

Alice starts to murmur to herself again, "And the pregnant girl wins, the cripple is down, he is down."

Ashley sees Alice across the street and immediately starts to panic.

Alice just looks at her with a bored expression for a second before waving slightly. Ashley looks at her confused and starts walking backwards to make sure Alice won't follow. Seeing Alice still just standing there not moving, just watching, without changing expression; she finally turns and runs off.

Alice stands there for a moment in thought before she finally shrugs puts her hands in her pockets, and starts walking over to Gold's to see if there was anything of interest inside. She walks in and not seeing anything keeps walking until she finally makes her way to the back and sees Gold laying next to an open safe.

She looks at him for a few moments in thought before taking out her phone and then proceeds to take pictures of him from several angles. Then she makes a new folder in her photos labeled, For When Gold Pisses You Off and puts them in there.

"_Now I can laugh at him even if he's not in the same room. Maybe this can even get me out of that favor."_

She puts her phone away and leaves soundlessly.

Alice makes her way to her apartment and goes to her room to sleep.

* * *

**Wonderland (Past)**

After weeks of learning how to use a sword Alice finally thinks she could maybe fight someone off. If they were a child, and had one arm, maybe if they were blind too.

Alice didn't have much confidence in her abilities. No matter how many times Conrad said her learning rate for using a sword was astounding, especially for someone her age. Every time she saw him fight one of his men she couldn't help but feel like her abilities were horrible in comparison.

The good part of her thoughts of inferiority was that every time she saw him fight, she would work that much harder to improve.

Today Alice was working against a dummy. Conrad has offered to let her spar one of the other children of the court who were getting taught sword fighting, but she say she wants to get better first.

After about an hour of her on the dummy and Conrad doing his other duties, he comes over and tells her any mistakes and what she can improve on.

They were doing that for some time before Conrad speaks up, "Hey Alice, you've done very well these last few weeks; even if you refuse to admit it. And I was thinking, how about we try something long-range.

Alice stops and looks at him, "Like what?"

"I was thinking maybe a bow. You're pretty tall for your age and you arms are fairly long. And I found this training bow, would you like to try."

Alice thinks for a moment before nodding.

Conrad hands her the bow and crouches down. "Okay, try to get in a stance."

Alice tries to copy what she's seen and goes into a stance.

After a moment Conrad goes fixing all her mistakes and showing her how to actually stand. Once she's in a somewhat decent stance, Conrad leads her over to the targets and tells her get in the stance again.

He hands her a training arrow and tells her to pull it back and again corrects some of her errors.

"All right, now try to get it as close as you can."

Alice lets the arrow go, and somehow the arrow goes the complete wrong direction and hits someone.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!"

"Alright it's okay just a first try, you'll get better."

But she didn't get better every time her arrows went a completely wrong direction. After a couple of times Conrad saw it was because just before she launched an arrow, she would shift her stance slightly.

After telling her the problem and Alice consciously trying to keep the same position, the shots just became worse. With every arrow Alice got more and more frustrated.

"Look Alice, some people just have things they're not good at. It's not a big deal we can try something else."

Alice still annoyed with the events grabs the closest thing to her which just so happens to be a throwing knife left from someone before them. She then proceeded to throw it in anger while yelling, "Dammit!" A word she heard some of the men say sometimes in anger.

She was just about to stomp off when she hears a loud 'thunk.'

Looking back her eyes widen when she sees the knife she threw was just on the edge of the bulls-eye.

Conrad also looks back with a dumfounded look on his face. "Well no to the arrows, yes to the knives then."

After that day they also added in throwing knives to her training. When she tried again she discovered the first one was really a lucky shot. Though for never actually throwing a knife before she was still pretty good. From then on she was hitting the outer rings of the bulls-eye.

Wherever she was she was always practicing. If she wasn't throwing knives in her room, she was practicing her sword stances and using everything around as if it was a sword itself.

Even her Mother seemed satisfied with her progress; she wouldn't say anything but would nod slightly. Those nods gave Alice some of the greatest joy she had ever felt. Just knowing her Mother was slightly proud of her, when that is her single greatest wish made her ecstatic.

* * *

**Please tell me any mistakes and what I can improve. If you still really want to know the pairing I'll PM you if you ask in a review.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Bad Doesn't Always Mean Evil**

* * *

**Disclaimer:I never actually understood why you need to put this; It's obvious I don't own Once Upon A Time. To those who actually have to question this then well...just wow**

**Thank you to all that have read, favorited, and followed. Cookies for everyone. Another special thanks go to grapejuice101 and satsuki75 for reviewing. Cookies for you. I already have the next chapter written it just needs editing, so it shouldn't take me too long to update.  
**

**I would also like to thank ****caskett41097** for betaing this chapter, they fixed so many mistakes I missed and I really appreciate it.

* * *

**Storybrooke (Present)**

After a couple of hours of sleep Alice awakens to her phone ringing.

She picks it up and sees Ruby's familiar caller id flashing on the screen.

"Hey you know it's like midnight right?"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry but I need your help. Can you come to the Inn?"

Alice gets up, after hearing Ruby sounding so serious, "Yeah sure I'm on my way, what's wrong?"

"I'll tell you when you get here."

Alice groans but then complies, "Alright be there in ten."

Alice then proceeds to run over to Granny's Inn and, after going in, makes her way up to Ruby's room figuring that's where they would be.

She makes it Ruby's door and knocks, "It's me."

Ruby opens the door with a panicked look on her face, "Oh thank god, Alice! What took you so long?!"

Alice raises her brow and gives her a look, "Sorry, I'm still trying to get a handle on my nonexistent teleportation powers. Come to think of it maybe that's the problem, their nonexi-"

"Ok! I get it. Just come in and knock it off."

Alice sighs, but still starts walking into the apartment, "So why am I here, 'cause if you need help moving a body, I'll need to grab my gloves back home? They're my favorite-."

Alice cuts herself off when she sees Ashley sitting awkwardly on Ruby's bed. She stares for a moment before looking back at Ruby.

"I thought this was an emergency, not a sleepover."

"It is an emergency. You know what she did to Gold, she needs to get out-of-town."

Ashley finally speaks up from behind them, standing up, "You know 'she' is right here."

Ruby looks apologetic while Alice just looks bored.

Ashley then turns to Alice, "I need to leave town Alice, and you know Gold wants my baby. I can't let him have it."

"Fuckin aye, I'm gonna kill Emma. If this is because of what she said yesterday, Ashley, half of that was bullshit. You could probably get the same thing in a fortune cookie."

"Alice! You know that isn't the only reason, I've regretted that deal with Gold since I made it. Emma just made me realize I can't just stand around brooding, that I should do something about it."

"Fine whatever."

"If you cared so much you could have at least stopped me yesterday at Gold's shop."

"That's different, it was entertaining. I even got souvenirs."

Both Ashley and Ruby look at her in confusion.

"I took pictures of him on the floor out cold."

Ruby makes a face and says, "I don't know if that's hilarious or creepy."

"Either ways, I'm amused."

Ashley starts shouting in a panic, "Guys! Can we please stay on topic?"

"You brought it up."

"Alice you are way more talkative and annoying than usual."

Alice shrugs, "I was sleeping, now I'm annoyed, and misery loves company. So moving on, what's your plan exactly?"

Ruby sighs and steps around Alice towards Ashley, "My car is in the shop, but Billy said it was almost done and as a favor he would drop it off tomorrow at the diner."

"So what you," Alice points at Ashley, "Are going to drive the car to…" Alice stops waiting for them to fill in the blank.

"Boston," Ashley says while nodding.

"That's a horrible plan."

Ashley widens her eyes, "What! Why?!"

"You're like fifteen months pregnant, and Boston's about four hours from here."

"I am not fifteen months pregnant, I'm umm… I'm," Ashley shrugs, while Alice narrows her eyes, "You know what, it doesn't matter. I can drive Alice. I'm not disabled, I'm pregnant."

Alice stays silent, deep in thought.

"Alice you brought this up, are you even listening?"

Alice continues ignoring her while muttering, "She doesn't know how long she was pregnant. That doesn't make any sense. I don't… I don't remember either. But that doesn't make sense; I remember her telling me and Ruby as soon as she found out."

Alice closes her eyes in pain as a splitting headache goes through her head. She doesn't hear anything around her; only wind rushing through her ears. Just as her head was becoming unbearable, she feels a hand on her arm shaking her.

"-lice! Alice!"

Alice finally picks her head up and turns to her left to find Ruby standing there shaking her with a panicked look. She turns her head again and starts rubbing her temples.

As she looks up she says, somewhat apologetic, "Sorry guys got lost in thought."

When she looks up to Ashley, her eyes widen and she almost steps back in surprise. Standing there was Ashley she was wearing an ugly frock with dirt and soot all over her. Though the oddest thing was that as Alice looked down she noticed she wasn't pregnant.

Alice turns her head trying to make the flash stop and sees Ruby. After a moment to gather herself she finally just sigh in annoyance. As she looks at Ruby she's wearing a bright red cloak, and has glowing amber eyes.

She blinks again and takes a breath. After a moment Ruby flashes back to normal, and Alice turns her head and sees Ashley looking normal too.

Ruby still looks panicked, "Alice are you alright? You're starting to scare me. Are you sure you should be out of the hospital?"

Alice shakes off her concern, "Ruby I'm fine, like I said just lost in thought. Now as I was saying, Ashley can't drive herself to Boston- that's ridiculous. You were just saying the baby can come any day now."

"Alice I don't care! I need to leave; Gold is not getting my baby!"

"Why the hell am I being the responsible one? I'm the fuck up, not you two. Why aren't you thinking? If you drive to Boston by yourself, you may not have a baby for Gold to take."

Ruby's eyes widen and she yells, "Alice!"

Ashley starts tearing up, "Don't say that Alice! Don't even imply it!"

"I might be implying it, but you're about to cause it. If you don't want to be driving down the highway, having a huge contraction, and causing an accident then don't drive to Boston."

Ashley starts to sob as she realizes that Alice is right, "I have to do something Alice! Gold cannot have my baby!"

"Yeah I get it Gold can't have the baby. We'll figure something out."

Alice sighs in annoyance and starts to think,_ I can't deal with people crying, it just makes me uncomfortable and annoys me. I guess the simple solution would be for me to just drive her. As much as I hate to, as long as she stops bawling over there, I'll say anything. She never used to be like this, must be the hormones._

"All right, all right, Christ, calm down. How about this- Ruby distracts anyone looking for you and I'll drive you to Boston."

Both Ruby and Ashley's eyes widen. Then Ruby speaks up, "Alice you never drive. How is that safer than her just driving herself?"

Alice looks to the ceiling and lets out a long-suffering sigh for having to deal with this in the middle of the night.

"I know how to drive Ruby, I just don't like to. Why drive when I can get to the same place running?"

Ashley finally starts to calm down and says, "Alice are you sure? You don't have to."

"What, and have you drive so your dumb ass can get itself killed?"

Ashley ignores the insult and is just about to step forward to hug Alice, when she remembers it wouldn't be appreciated. So instead she just smiles gratefully.

"Alright, now that were done here can I go home?"

"Alice you should just stay here, I don't know when Billy is bringing my car tomorrow or when Ashley will have a chance to leave without someone seeing her."

Alice groans in response. She then goes to the corner takes off her coat and bundles it beneath her head before lying down.

"Alice, what are you doing?"

"Going to sleep, leave me alone."

"Why are you on the floor?"

"Because I can be, now let me sleep."

Ruby looks to Ashley in askance, and in response Ashley just shrugs. Neither of them understanding half the things Alice does.

* * *

**Wonderland (Past)**

At nine years old Alice was an average height for her age, and with all the exercise she does, was in top shape.

Alice had just finished training with Conrad and decided to take a walk in the maze. After living there her whole life, she knew all the routes of the maze and where they go.

She decided that day she would go to the fountain to relax.

She made her way there and sat on one of the benches. Soon enough, she gets lost in thought.

She turns her head to the side after hearing an odd sound to her right.

Looking down, she sees a house cat sitting next her. She stares for a moment at its oddly colored fur.

"You know it's rude to stare."

Alice jumps in surprise and looks down dumbly at the cat.

The cat looks up and its mouth widens into a grin, "What's wrong, cat got your tongue.?"

Alice just continues to stare.

"I didn't know the princess was a mute, how interesting."

"What, oh no I'm sorry, you just surprised me."

"Why, never seen a talking cat before?"

"I've never seen any animal before, well except the horses but they don't talk."

The cat tilts its head quizzically, "Why would you have not seen animals before?"

"My mother doesn't like them around the castle. She says there dirty and the only time she has them inside is if there doing something for her."

"Mmm I see, well I'm Cheshire and you'll come to realize almost all animals in Wonderland like to talk."

"Oh, well ok then. Cheshire is an odd name."

Cheshire's grin widens, "Some might say Alice is an odd name."

Alice stares for a moment before looking towards the fountain and saying, "Touche."

Cheshire starts quietly chuckling, "Well Alice it's been just lovely to meet you."

As he was talking he started slowly disappearing until finally the only thing that could be seen was his grin before it widens and then disappears completely.

* * *

**Storybrooke (Present)**

Alice is peacefully sleeping in the corner when she is awakened by Ashley.

"Alice! Alice, get up. Ruby just called me, we gotta go."

Alice groans and sits up, "What's wrong?"

"It's Emma, she's looking for me. Ruby said she sent her off to buy us some time, so we have to go now."

Ashley starts trying to get Alice to get up again.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming! Keep your panties on. You waddle on down, give me like ten minutes, by then you should be to about the top of the stairs."

"Shut up Alice! And the stairs are like fifteen feet away from us."

"You're right I'm giving you too much credit. You definitely wouldn't be to the stairs in ten minutes."

Ashley glares at her, "Will you just come on."

Alice gives an exaggerated sigh and finally gets up. She then puts her coat on and sweeps her arm toward the door before sarcastically saying, "After you."

Ashley sighs and starts walking out with Alice following.

"Where's her car?"

"She said she moved it around back."

After that they walk to the back door in silence, only the sound of Ashley's footsteps accompanying them.

They make it to the car and Alice walks to the driver's side's door.

She opens the door and gets in. After settling for a moment she flips open the visor seeing the keys where Ruby said she would leave them.

"Alright, you ready Ash?"

"Yeah let's go before Emma gets back."

Alice turns the key and starts smirking, "You sure? No bathroom break or anything? I've heard of pregnant woman and their bladders."

"Would you just go?"

After that Alice drives out from the back of the diner and goes back to the Main Street.

"Alright Ash until we make it out-of-town we're gonna have to be going the right speed, because we need to be discrete. So it's going to take a little while to get out of here."

Ashley sighs in frustration but nods knowing that Alice is right.

"Once we get out-of-town, we can cut this Driving shit and try for more Fast and the Furious."

Ashley looks over in confusion, "What?"

Alice rolls her eyes and responds, "Nothing."

* * *

After driving for a while they finally reach the edge of town and see the sign up ahead.

"Jeez finally, the town is bigger than I thought, took us forever to get here."

Alice looks over not getting a response and sees Ashley with a pained grimace, just before she starts screaming.

At her scream Alice slams on the breaks and goes to the right, parking on the side of the road, "Shit! Ash, what is it, is the baby coming?!"

Ashley can do nothing but cry some more and nod.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck. Ash were going back, I'm taking you to the hospital."

"No! Alice, please we have to go to Boston! Gold can get to my baby here!"

"Ash Boston is hours away, and not only do I not know how to deliver a kid but I have no want to either."

Alice puts the car in drive and turns the wheel, but when she puts her foot on the gas to go nothing happens.

"What the fuck?"

She looks towards her right mirror and sees that when she parked she drove into a ditch and the tire is now stuck.

"Oh no, no come on," She tries to give it some more gas but again nothing happens. "Fuck!" She then slams her head on the steering wheel in frustration.

Alice starts looking through her pockets trying to find her phone, when she suddenly remembers she left it at her apartment.

"Ash, please tell me you have your phone."

At Ashley's pained shake of her head in the negative, she slams her head on the steering wheel again and tries to think.

"The hospitals on the other side of town from here, but people should be on the road about a mile from here."

Ashley is still crying in the seat trying to keep calm.

"Ash, the only thing I can think of is carrying you until we can come by someone who can bring us there."

Ashley starts laughing slightly, "Alice; carry me, are you nuts? Do you know how much I weigh?"

"Well what else am I supposed to do?! Hitchhike the nonexistent cars? You know how long it can be until someone comes this way?"

Ashley huffs in response, and lets out a choked cry.

"Look we gotta get moving and unless you can walk," Ashley gives her a pained and incredulous glance, "I'm going to carry you. This is my fault anyway I drove into the ditch."

"Alice it's not your fault. Either way I can't go back, Gold will still get the baby," she says, panting.

"We have to; look when we get there I'll try to figure something out okay, see if we can't work something out with him."

Alice takes the keys out of the ignition putting them into her pocket. She gets out and walks around to Ashley's side. Before she opens the door Ashley lets out another pained cry.

She opens it and crouches down.

"Alright Ash you're gonna have to help me out here okay."

Ashley than starts leaning out and Alice helps her up.

"Alice why don't we just try walking and you support me alright?"

Alice nods, albeit reluctantly.

"How shitty is our luck we were five feet from the town border, and you start to get hardcore contractions?"

"Yeah, it rea-"Ashley gets cut off by another painful contraction and starts screaming and her legs give out. Before she can fall too far Alice grabs her and then, after a breath, picks her up from under her knees and around her shoulders.

"Fuck. You really are heavy."

"Shut up Alice! Sometimes I really fucking hate you!"

"Can you smell that, it smells like… hormones!"

Ashley than starts yelling random obscenities at Alice, while Alice just comes back with a witty remark to each one.

* * *

They make it a good way from the car and can actually start to see some civilization.

"God dammit Alice, hurry up!"

"You know if I'm going to carry you like a princess the least you could do is act like one."

"If you're my prince just kill me now."

"Well I bet my princess is much sweeter anyway."

"That poor girl."

"Now you're just being rude."

Ashley starts screaming again. As they keep walking they finally see a car coming their way.

"Oh thank god, I was this close to dropping you on the ground and leaving."

"No you weren't."

"I was contemplating it."

As the car gets closer they see that it's the Emma's yellow bug. She pulls over next to them and gets out.

"Oh hey Emma, do you know where the hospital is we were just on our way and got lost. Thank god you came along though."

"Alice! Now is not the time for jokes, put her in the car."

Alice rolls her eyes but complies and puts her in the backseat.

She gets in putting Ashley's head in her lap.

"So Emma what are you doing on this side of town? Not really that much around here."

"You know why I'm here, you and Ashley decided to leave town."

"Whaaaaat? Me? I would never."

"Alice." Emma practically growls out.

Ashley finally starts regaining her breath, "Emma please you have to take me to Boston! Gold is gonna take my baby."

Alice looks down at Ashley with a frown, "Hey, I thought we talked about this. I'll figure something out alright."

Emma then speaks up, "I won't let that happen either Ashley, okay? But do you know what you're asking for? If you keep this child, are you really ready?

"Yeah."

"Are you sure? Because I wasn't."

"You weren't?"

Alice just looks back and forth silently, obviously having no experience with having kids.

"Nope. If you want to give this kid its best chance, it's going to be with someone who's ready, so know what that means. Your whole life is going to change and once you decide that it's yours, this 'running away' can't happen. You have to grow up and you can't ever leave. Understand?"

"Yes. I want my baby."

After that Ashley relaxed slightly and Alice starts leaning back in her seat, thoroughly exhausted.

* * *

**Wonderland (Past)**

Alice decides to head back to the castle after the encounter with Cheshire, so she gets up and starts traversing through the maze.

As she was finally making her way down the last hedge to the exit, three boys that look a couple of years older start coming in through the same hole she was heading towards.

She looks at them as they start yelling boisterously and recognizes them as three sons of different people in her mother's court.

After another moment she also realizes it's the same boys who always like to pick on her.

As the three starts walking towards her, they finally notice her presence.

"Oh look who it is, little Alice," the obvious leader of the trio, Christopher, sneers.

"Alice did you finally decide to stop playing with swords and to take up gardening?" another of the boys named Lucas, taunts.

Alice just decides to ignore them like usual and starts walking calmly forward, planning on continuing past them.

"She probably finally realized swords are for men, not little baby princesses," The last one named Frederick yells out.

Alice does stop for a moment and glances at him, but not in anger. She always hates when Frederick picks on her, because he was her first crush. Not that he'll ever know that.

Gritting her teeth, she keeps walking, though now with her shoulders slightly tensed.

"Shouldn't you be learning princess stuff anyways?" Lucas calls as she was about a foot away.

The three start laughing loudly as if that was the funniest thing they've ever heard. While Alice just keeps walking, rolling her eyes, not even seeing how that was a joke or even insulting.

"I don't even know why Conrad gives her any attention. She's not even really the princess. Everyone knows her and The Queen are not even the same blood. I bet The Queen doesn't even want her, probably just keeps her out of pity. What do you think Alice does your 'Mother' hate you?", Christopher teases.

Alice stops as Christopher starts guffawing at his joke while Lucas and Frederick stands there awkwardly not wanting to laugh as- it was too far, even for them.

Alice had always been sensitive when it comes to her Mother and Cora's feelings towards her.

Finally Alice turns and looks at Christopher and calmly asks. "Want to repeat that?"

"What didn't hear me the first time? I said 'Do you think your Mother hates you Alice.'"

After a moment of eerie silence Alice slowly walks back to Christopher. She gets there and stops for a moment just staring at him. She's standing about a foot away and her head comes to his shoulder.

"What are you gonna do Alice cry-"

Just as he was about to continue Alice finally kicks out, hitting his knee making him fall and kneel on the ground. Alice then jumps up and knees him the face.

Christopher is on the ground holding his now broken nose. Alice starts to walk away as Lucas and Frederick stand-off to the side up with their hands up not wanting to get involved.

As she was walking she hears Christopher getting up groaning.

Once he stands to his full height he finally starts chuckling, "So I was right then she does hate you huh, who can blame her though right?"

Alice turns again as he finishes and then seems to forget all her training as she just runs back at him. Just as she's about to get to him, Christopher could have sworn her blue eyes turned completely black for a moment.

When Alice reaches him she lowers her body catching him around the middle and then puts her full weight into him. They start moving backwards and finally they go through the hedge and into the courtyard.

Christopher finally falls and Alice straddles him, in the back of her mind glad that she was wearing trousers from training. She then lifts her fist and repeatedly starts raining down blows from both hands.

She lost count of how many times she hit him, before she gets grabbed around the waist and pulled off him. She immediately starts kicking and squirming trying to get out of the hold.

"I'll kill you! You hear me! I'm going to beat your face in Christopher! Put me down! Put me down!"

Alice continues to squirm and trying to get out of the person's grasp.

"Let go of me!"

The person behind her then starts speaking, "Alice calm down or you're going to hurt yourself!"

Alice recognizes the voice as belonging to Conrad, but ignores him in favor of trying to get to Christopher.

They are starting to assemble a crowd of onlookers from the court and guards.

Lucas and Frederick finally come out from the hole that was created in the hedge, and stare wide-eyed at Alice and then Christopher's bloodied face.

Alice is still struggling and yelling at Conrad to put her down, when she hears a voice she knows all too well shout out, "Alice!"

As soon as she hears it and recognizes the pure fury that it was spoken with, she immediately stops struggling and pales.

Conrad puts her down on the ground but still holds her shoulder in case she tries to move again. When her feet hit the ground she slowly looks up and sees that her Mother made her way over in front of her.

When she sees the anger on her face she wants to run away and hide never to come out again.

Cora stands there for a moment in rage before looking around taking stock of the situation.

She looks at Christopher on the ground face bloodied, in need of medical attention and then looks back at Alice. First at her bloodied knuckles, and then at her clothes also covered in blood, up to her flushed face with more specks of blood covering it.

She keeps glaring at her before finally yelling out "Everyone go about your business!"

She then walks up to Alice and grabs her roughly by the arm, before practically dragging her towards the castle.

As she is about to walk through the slowly dwindling crowd she turns back and points at Christopher, as if an afterthought "And get him some medical attention."

Cora then drags Alice to her room staying eerily silent.

* * *

When they make it to Alice's chamber's she practically throws her inside and then starts screaming, "Alice you idiotic girl! What were you thinking, no you obviously weren't thinking! You could have beaten him to death, and since you're my daughter you know how that could have affected my rule?!"

"But Mother he was taunting me and he deserved that and far more!" What started out as childish arguing, changed into dark ruminations spoken aloud.

Cora paused for a moment at Alice's tone recognizing it for something both her and Regina had both used before. She would probably feel proud if Alice went about it in a better way.

"If you want revenge you don't do it that way. It was thoughtless. If you want to get at someone you don't simply beat them in front of a crowd of people in the spur of the moment. You wait and you plan something so horrible they'll know not to do it again."

"He'll be lucky if he talks again, I doubt he'll be able to insult me anymore," Alice states victoriously.

Cora studies Alice, seeing that she was fairly dark on her own, even without having raised her. After that thought she smirks slightly.

"Alice I don't care if you get revenge on people, just learn discretion, and clean yourself up."

With that said, Cora leaves Alice to herself.

"He deserved it," is all Alice mutters to herself as she walks away to get cleaned up.

* * *

**Storybrooke (Present)**

They make it to the hospital and Alice, Emma, and Henry sit in the waiting room.

Emma and Henry are sitting together talking, while Alice sits away from them wanting to be able to think alone.

She's sitting there with her head tipped back on her chair staring at the ceiling when someone sits next to her.

She turns her head and sees that it's Emma.

"Great."

"Well I feel welcome."

Alice sighs, "Alright go ahead."

"Go ahead and what."

"Yell at me or, whatever."

"No, I'm not going to do that."

Alice raises her brow, "Oh, why's that?"

"Cause, yeah you messed up, but at least you tried to fix it and you actually did it for the right reasons."

"How did I try to fix it?"

Emma looks at her incredulously, "Alice you carried a pregnant woman who knows how far, and even tried to convince her to come back."

Alice sighs and shifts in her seat slightly, "It was my fault we got caught in that ditch in the first place. I'm such a fuck up; always have been, and always will be."

"You're being way too hard on yourself, and it was probably best you got caught there. Imagine that happening with other people on the road."

"I guess."

At that moment a doctor walks up and Emma stands.

Alice tunes him out still lost in thought. She does look up however when she hears start saying something about merchandise as he walks into the hospital.

She's about to get up to try to talk to him about Ashley, when Emma holds her hand up and says, "I got it Alice, why don't you go home?"

She looks at her for a second before slightly nodding her head and walking out.

* * *

**Thank you for reading, tell me any problems or just how I did. Also there's a hint to the pairing in the chapter, if anyone can figure out who it is just from that, then well... good for you I guess  
**


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